There are so many bible verses that speak to who we are as followers of Christ. One of my favorite is found in Romans 8:37 which says, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” So, I wonder how many of us see ourselves as “conquerors”? Could it be, that the imperfections which all too often reveal themselves in our lives, shackle us to believe just the opposite. Do we struggle with the feeling of inadequacy? This word simply means insufficient for a purpose.
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him,
“The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Judges 6:12
We know of no reason why the angel of the Lord would give such a title to Gideon, other than what would take place in the days ahead. It seems that Gideon had different ideas of both himself and his God. On the heels of last week’s lesson, this may sound familiar, “But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (Judges 6:13). As the Lord informs him that he will be used to “save Israel” (Judges 6:14), his response is so…well…understandable…right? Listen to him reason, saying, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15). You may remember the words of Moses when God called him to free “My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10); he said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh”(Exodus3:11). In Exodus chapter 4, Moses providing multiple reasons why he thought he should not be used by God, said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand whomever else You may send”(Exodus 4:13). Both these men, great historical figures in God’s redemptive work, felt so inadequate to be useful for God.
As the story goes, both of these figures in history were used by the Lord to do marvelous works. In both cases, the Lord made some promises. To Gideon, He said, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites” (Judges 6:16). To Moses, the Lord said, “I will certainly be with you” (Exodus 3:12). Regardless of how they may have seen themselves, God knew, and they learned, just what is possible in our lives if we let go and let God
Since God has put His work into your weak hands, look not for long ease here:
You must feel the full weight of your calling: a weak man with a strong God.
Author Unknown
I began in Romans 8 and I end with it as well. The apostle Paul pens these often-spoken words, but what do they mean to us as His children? “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). God calls us to share the gospel, serve the needy, strengthen His church and the lists goes on and on. How many reasons do we have or even use, that limits our calling? At times, we need to be reminded just who I am. I am a called child of the living God. WOW!
Dennis
