And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valour.” (Judges 6:12 ESV)
Do you ever have days when you feel like hiding away from the world? I do. Sometimes I just want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed all day, even when I know God has called me to take action.
In the old testament, Gideon felt the same way. The Israelites were under occupation by the Midianites who were very cruel, terrorizing them by stealing livestock and crops. Often the Israelites hid in mountains, caves, and strongholds. One day Gideon was hiding inside a winepress threshing wheat when an angel of the Lord came, telling him to rise against the Midianites and defeat them. Gideon doubted and was afraid “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valour.’ ” Despite the reassurance, Gideon tested the word of the angel several times before finally agreeing to comply
In the end, Gideon led the Israelites against the Midianites in a whopping victory, outnumbered by thousands, with only 300 men. God proved the victory was possible, even though it looked hopeless to man, Gideon just needed to be willing and trust.
Gideon felt God calling him for a purpose, but he didn’t feel worthy or qualified. He was also afraid. But God called him a mighty man of valour before the victory because he knew the ending of the story. He didn’t need Gideon’s qualifications, he needed his obedience.
I get it, sometimes I’m afraid of the future dreams God has laid on my heart. I don’t feel worthy or qualified. Sometimes I’m not sure about the “call’’ and I test God’s word. But he is always faithful. I just need to be willing.
God doesn’t ask us to do it alone. He will lead, equip, and support us on the path he has called us to. God just asks for our willingness and obedience to follow him. Once Gideon accepted the calling he was victorious, not by his own strength or power but by God’s strength.
Like Gideon, We need to trust God will be with us in the journey, especially if he calls us to the task. We don’t need to worry about feeling worthy or qualified because God is the one who qualifies us as we step out in faith. In our weakness he is strong! (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Are you feeling a call from God to do something outside your comfort zone? Are you feeling unworthy or unqualified? God has called you because of your unique ability to partner with him to get the job done. No task is too big or too small, he just asks you to be willing, obedient, and trust him to be with you in the battle.
Step out of the winepress today and say: “Here I am, Lord, use me.”
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