Judges 6:12 AMPC
[12] And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.
Reflect on the background to this story: Israel had become complacent. This was a nation helped by God to take over a land that was not theirs in the first place. By divine design and the immutability of God's promises to the father of faith, Abraham, the people of Israel got into Canaan. They received instructions and guidance on how to live right, and as God is a fair God, He also warned them about the consequences of disobedience. They were not left without direction, but they chose to go their own way. Again and again, we see that God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill, but be sure that choices have their consequences. Israel forsook God, and God applied the punishment that was deserving. God has no favourites when it comes to sin, and He will punish it, no matter in whom it is found.
Thank God the story did not end on this note. God sent a prophet to remind Israel of their sin, but almost at the same time, He was preparing a man to be His instrument of deliverance from the hand of Israel's enemy, the Midianites. This is also one of the many consequences of sin: things that you had overcome or conquered in the past will surely come looking for you again. The victories that God already guaranteed in the past will begin to look like mirages or dreams. Midian was one of the sons of Abraham through Keturah, the wife he married after the death of Sarah, so we see that this was a battle with familiar foes. Do not let sin expose you to those that will destroy you. If God places limitations on your path, it is for your good. If He comes to you, there is a treasure in you that He wants to use for His glory. Most times, the person may not know the value of what s/he has, but in the hands of God, the biggest mess can become the greatest message.
The man God turned to could not have been the best available, by human standards. He was very afraid too, using a winepress to thresh wheat. Picture the discomfort. Picture the fear. However, the God who sees farther than any man can, knew what this man had, and was ready to use him for the deliverance of Israel from the Midianites. I may not see myself in any positive light, but thank God that my view is not the final word. Men may look at me and see a timid, weak man, but it only matters what God sees. Gideon was a man who knew his limits and acted under that impression, but God, who truly knew him, came and stirred up his confidence, asking him to lead Israel against Midian. Whatever is in your hands presently can be used mightily by God to achieve His purpose. Only God can call a man, who is hiding out of fear, a mighty man of fearless courage. His view is all that matters. See as God sees you, and do exploits in His name. God's time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment