Does God ever “Wow!” you? Does He ever send you a message that makes you pause and say, “OK. I’m listening, God!” I was reading in Judges this past week, and I stumbled upon these verses. See if you can identify the words or phrases that stopped me in my tracks.
The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Judges 6:12
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” Judges 6:14
The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” Judges 6:16
If you thought any of the following, you and I are on the same wavelength!
· Mighty hero.
· Go with the strength you have.
· I am sending you.
· I will be with you.
I know the reason these verses resonated so strongly with me is because of my focus for 2023. If you read the last blog (https://www.victoriouseducator.com/post/by-faith-in-2023-what-will-it-take-to-be-a-hero), you know we all have the potential to be heroes of faith in our own lifetimes! When I read these verses, it was as if God was saying, “I have more to talk to you about when it comes to this hero thing.” So, I stopped and listened. Here is what I heard.
“Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
Most of the time we don’t feel like heroes. It was comforting to find out there was someone in Scripture who felt the same way. In this passage, the angel of the Lord was speaking to Gideon. Gideon was in a bad way. His people (the Israelites) were suffering the consequences of their disobedience, and Gideon was caught in the middle. He considered himself weak, fearful, and unfit for God’s service (Judges 6:15). The circumstances in which he found himself felt overwhelming, and he was just doing what he could to survive. Sound familiar?
In the midst of all of this, an angel showed up and called him a mighty hero! Seriously? If that happened to us, like Gideon, we would probably think the angel was talking to someone else! It is important to stop for a moment and dig a little deeper into the angel’s description of Gideon. Words or phrases in other translations for mighty hero include valiant warrior, person of valor, fearless soldier, courageous, powerful, and brave. All translations are written in the context of being in a battle; however, Gideon was not in an actual physical battle. In fact, when you read the account you will see he was actually avoiding a battle! He had all but given up.
But God had not given up on Him. God had an important plan for Gideon’s life, one that required courage and strength. Gideon needed to be reminded that despite his feelings and circumstances, he was strong because God was with him (Judges 6:12).
I don’t know what you are going through today, but I know being an educator in 2023 is not for the faint of heart. You may have days or even weeks like Gideon's where you feel exhausted, unseen, and powerless. I’m not an angel, but I want to remind you mighty educator that the Lord is with you. You are STRONG!
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have… I am sending you.”
God didn’t waste any time in giving Gideon his marching orders. He reminded Gideon of his own strength, promised Gideon He would be with him, and sent Gideon on his way. I wished I could tell you Gideon automatically moved forward with God’s plan, but given his past experiences, his faith was weak (and understandably so). He needed assurance, and God understood that need. God patiently worked with him and strengthened his faith to the point that Gideon could carry out his divine mission.
It is so encouraging to know that when God sends us—and we are all being sent—His strength maximizes ours. He uses us as His instruments, working through us to do what only He can do. Sometimes our work feels insurmountable, and we may find ourselves questioning God as Gideon did. But Gideon persisted. He went with the strength he had, and he trusted God to do the rest.
I don’t know what God is asking you to do today, but I want to remind you mighty educator that the Lord is with you. He is sending you!
“I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
I love it that God continued to assure Gideon that He would be with him. The battle was going to be fierce, but notice God didn’t just say He would be with him. God also assured Gideon, “YOU WILL DESTROY.” In other words, God said to Gideon, “You will be successful!” If you have read Gideon’s story (Judges 6-7), you know the task he was given was unquestionably impossible without God’s intervention. This should give us such confidence! God doesn’t ask us to do what only we can do. He asks us to do what only HE can do through us. Success is guaranteed so that we can look back and shout, “Look what God did!”
As long as you and I are seeking to honor and serve God faithfully, we will be engaged in battles. There may be times when we feel ill-equipped and unfit to fight. There is no need to worry. God will work through us when we are willing to be obedient. Gideon went from being a man who hid from the enemy to a man who vanquished that same enemy. God will do the same for us!
I don’t know what battle you are currently fighting or soon will fight, but I want to remind you mighty educator that the Lord is with you. You will be successful!
NOTE! If you haven’t read the story of Gideon lately, do it now! Judges 6-7