Judges 6:12

New International Version (NIV)

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

For Meditation

We don’t know ourselves until God reveals His knowledge to us. We could then affirm with the Psalmist, God’s wonderful craftsmanship and our uniqueness in creation.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:14).

Our uniqueness is purposeful. It’s a perfect fit in God’s ultimate plan and purpose for our lives. Many fret and doubt. They’re discouraged and cynical about their abilities and usefulness. They are doubtful and insecure. Yet they are some of the most gifted of all people. They complain about God and charge him with unfairness. “He doesn’t care,” they say. That was Gideon’s condition under the Midian oppression.

The angel of the LORD appears to Gideon and tells him; “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Gideon is hiding with his wheat in a winepress. God has come to appoint him to deliver Israel, but Gideon is too disheartened to hear Him well. God talks about Gideon’s stature, but Gideon talks about Israel’s condition. If God were concerned about Israel, where are His mighty deeds of old? God appoints Gideon to lead Israel to freedom from Midian, but Gideon balks (15-16).

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replies, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The Lord answers, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

I am amazed at how insecure Gideon was. Throughout his encounter with the LORD and his final defeat of the Midianites, he was unsure and hesitant. God had to assure him at every point. Gideon always asked for or needed a sign to urge him on. But God is faithful. He knows our weaknesses and works patiently to move us to where He wants us. Gideon missed the point that our strength and abilities are not in ourselves. They are in Christ.

God sees us in Christ and what He would do in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why He called a fearful Gideon, a “mighty warrior” (12). Gideon didn’t see himself that way, but God’s perspective was based on who Gideon was in His divine strength.

“Go in the strength you have.” “I will be with you, and you will …”

Knowing this truth is power and enablement. It encourages and emboldens us.

“Be strong and courageous,” He told a shaken and wondering Joshua when he stepped into Moses’ shoes. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5-6). That’s our position in Christ!

I pray you see yourself through the eyes of God, rather than your self-depreciating evaluation. It will motivate you to be strong and courageous in Christ.

Shalom