An Unlikely Warrior – Part 2

As we continue on in the story of Gideon we’ll be looking at Judges 6:11-16. We find Gideon threshing wheat in the winepress in order to keep hidden from the enemy. While Gideon was threshing wheat, the angel of the Lord came and spoke to him saying, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12 NIV) The King James Version calls him a “mighty man of valor”. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think Gideon felt much like a mighty warrior as he hid from the enemy, threshing wheat. But God knew what he would become, and He knows what you will become too! God doesn’t look at all the things we wish we had never done, but He looks at what we will do for Him and He speaks those things over us and to us even before they ever happen. Has God given you a vision for the future? That’s how He sees you. He calls you His mighty warrior even before you’ve done anything mighty or before you’ve been any kind of warrior for Him. And ladies, don’t think that you can’t be a warrior for God. A person of “valor” is someone who is strong and who has influence. We can all be mighty warriors, or mighty men and women of valor when we are strong and have influence towards others for God. How has God called you to be a mighty man or woman of valor for Himself?

Now Gideon questioned that if the Lord was with them, then why was all of this bad stuff happening to them? And he wondered why God had abandoned them and given them over to the enemy? Are you in the midst of trials, feeling like God has abandoned you and allowed the enemy to rush into your life? The Lord answered Gideon in an interesting way. He didn’t say, “I’ve been with you all along”, though He had. He didn’t say, “I’m going to fix that for you right now”, though sometimes He does. He told Gideon to go himself and save the Israelites out of the enemy’s hand. Have you ever found yourself complaining to God about something and He turns right around and tells you to stop complaining and do something about it? That’s what He did with Gideon. And then Gideon came back with excuses. “Oh, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am too young to do what you are asking.” Maybe your excuses are different, but they are excuses none the less. “I’m too young”, “I’m too old”, “I don’t know enough”, “I’m not experienced enough”, “No one will listen to me”, or fill in the blank with your own excuse. But God answered Gideon’s fears and said, “I will be with you”. (Jdg 6:16) You’re right. On your own, you can’t do what God is calling you to do. But with God, you can do anything He calls you to do. If you haven’t figured this out yet, God likes to use those who are weak because it shows His strength and gives Him more glory. We can do things we’ve never imagined because we do them in God’s strength. In 1 Cor 1:27 we see that “…God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” He does this so we can’t boast before Him, and it gives Him the greatest glory.

Remember, God is with you. Rely on Him for your strength. You may feel like an unlikely warrior for God, but that is why God can and will use you! You can do everything through Him who gives you strength! (Phil 4:13)


*All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless specified otherwise.
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