When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied,
“but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? - Judges 6:12-13 NIV
Wow! Does that sound familiar? Have you ever felt this way? "God IF you are with me then WHY in the world am I going through this? " That's what Gideon wanted to know!
Often times life doesn't go the way we want. We have a vision of what should happen and when it doesn't we feel hurt, left out, over looked and even betrayed by God. I can imagine that's what Gideon was going through. He heard about all these promises God had given his ancestors, and yet the opposite was happening in his current situation.
"Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” - Judges 6:13 NIV
The Lord says to Gideon, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” God gave him authority! God told him to go save Israel out of the enemies hands! (How many of you know when you start asking why this or that is happening instead of something else, you are the perfect candidate to be SENT as an agent of change for that situation?) God didn't wipe out the enemy with His extraordinary power, which He could have. Instead, He SENT Gideon to take what was his. I believe this is true for us many times. We are waiting for God to do something huge, and yet God is waiting for us.
Gideon replies, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Don't we do the same thing?!?! God gives us a solution to our problem that requires a little action on our part and we shrink back in fear, "Me? How? There's no way!", but God answers Gideon, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
God is saying the same thing to our shrinking back, fearful hearts, "I WILL be with you!" When He's sends us, we don't go alone! We go with Him!
No matter our situation, we never face it alone. Do we trust Him to use us?
Often times life doesn't go the way we want. We have a vision of what should happen and when it doesn't we feel hurt, left out, over looked and even betrayed by God. I can imagine that's what Gideon was going through. He heard about all these promises God had given his ancestors, and yet the opposite was happening in his current situation.
"Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” - Judges 6:13 NIV
The Lord says to Gideon, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” God gave him authority! God told him to go save Israel out of the enemies hands! (How many of you know when you start asking why this or that is happening instead of something else, you are the perfect candidate to be SENT as an agent of change for that situation?) God didn't wipe out the enemy with His extraordinary power, which He could have. Instead, He SENT Gideon to take what was his. I believe this is true for us many times. We are waiting for God to do something huge, and yet God is waiting for us.
Gideon replies, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Don't we do the same thing?!?! God gives us a solution to our problem that requires a little action on our part and we shrink back in fear, "Me? How? There's no way!", but God answers Gideon, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
God is saying the same thing to our shrinking back, fearful hearts, "I WILL be with you!" When He's sends us, we don't go alone! We go with Him!
He IS with us!
He is FOR us!
No matter our situation, we never face it alone. Do we trust Him to use us?
Comforting verses:
Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you. - Deuteronomy 3:22
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9
The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4
"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."
-Psalm 46
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