Heavenly Father, thank You for the lessons I can learn from Gideon, who was a faithful servant, and the speed with which pride entered the heart of his son, Abimelech. I see how quickly wickedness and apostasy can infiltrate a church or community when the rule of law is discarded and righteous judgement is removed from an individual, a family, a church, or a nation. Examine my heart, I pray, to see if there are any seeds of evil within. Purify my heart and help me grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, day by day. This I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.