In Judges chapter
6, we learn that the Israelites had been oppressed under the hands of the
Midianites for seven years. Over the years, it wasn’t just the Midianites that
took advantage of the Israelites. The Amalekites and other eastern people also
invaded Israelite territory. The Israelites felt powerless. Then the Lord
spoke.
I’m going to
start reading at verse 12 and go through verse 15. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said “The Lord is
with you, mighty warrior.” “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us,
why has all this happened to us? He went on to say. But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”
The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel
out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can
I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my
family.”
Let’s look
at these few verses in reverse order. You see in verse 15 that Gideon is having
a talk with the Lord. Gideon offers a reply to the Lord which immediately
begins with the word “BUT.” “BUT” is a word that grammatically can be used in
multiple ways. It can be a conjunction, a noun, an adverb or a preposition.
Used differently, can create different meaning. In this passage of scripture,
“BUT” is used as a noun, which denotes an argument against something or an
objection. Gideon heard from the Lord, but was ready to argue against what the
Lord had just spoken to him. When do you find yourself using the nasty “BUT”
word in this same way? In Gideon’s case, he wanted the Lord to know what he saw
as his reality. He doubted himself. He felt weak and felt like he lacked
credibility. He also considered his position within his family and recognized
that his placement status was lower than all others. What I want to remind you
today is that your current position doesn’t determine your potential, your
purpose, your power, or your ability to produce. God makes all of those
determinations.
No matter
what the situation looks like, God has total control. In the prior two verses, Gideon
was open and honest about his feelings. He was unrestrained in his
conversations with God. He questioned God for the position that he and the
other Israelites were in. Gideon even entertained a moment of vulnerability
when he told God that he felt abandoned by Him. Being gentle with His words, God
told Gideon to go in the strength he had
and save his people. This was no small feat. God doesn’t think small. In
spite of all that Gideon and his people had experienced over the years, God
knew that Gideon had the strength to succeed against the Midianites. God just
wanted Gideon to trust Him. When God asked “Am I not sending you?”, that was
His way of saying I am sending you into battle because I know you can handle
it. Just a few weeks ago I asked my youngest daughter whether she wanted to
condition in the Fall with gymnastics or synchronized swimming. She knew that
swimming would be more expensive and she said “well, I don’t want you to have
to spend more money, so…” I turned to her and said “I didn’t ask you about the
money, I asked you your preference.” In the same way God answered Gideon, I
thought to myself “If the resources weren’t available, the offer would not have
been put on the table.” Likewise, God sent Gideon because God knew what Gideon
didn’t know for himself. God also knows what’s inside of you and He wants to
bring it out. Gideon’s revelation came in his conversation.
When the angel of the Lord appeared
to Gideon, he said “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” This is how the conversation began.
Gideon was approached and immediately alerted that the Lord was with him. Even
better than that, Gideon was approached with a specific reference. He was
called ‘mighty warrior.’ God knew from the beginning the power that Gideon
possessed. At immediate contact the Lord spoke life into Gideon. This is a
reminder that no matter how down, battered, bruised and broken we ourselves,
God sees us as so much more. We are powerful, we are fighters, we are winners.
Once Gideon
figured out who he was in the Lord and increased his confidence in himself and
his faith in God, Gideon sifted the Israelites and weeded out those who were
afraid and others who were not fit for battle at the time. He fought and
defeated the Midianites with just 300 men. You see, it’s not about what you can
and what you think you need to win. It’s about what God sees and knows to be
true. Bigger is not always better. In spite of his self-doubts and
insecurities, Gideon had what it took!
Stop letting the enemy feed lies into your spirit. Trust in God, knowing that He is with you and has called you here by name. You, too, have what it takes!
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