"Sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?”
Judges 6:13
Have you asked that question? Most Christ followers would tell you that God is always with them. We can easily quote scripture that promises He will never leave us. But do we live as if the power of God is with us? Sadly to say, we seldom do.
The Israelites were God’s chosen people. In the time the above scripture was written, the Israelites had turned their backs on God and were living in fear of the oppressive power of their enemies. Gideon himself is hiding when the angel of the Lord appears and calls him a mighty warrior.
Gideon responds in a way most of us do. He was full of doubts, questions and fear. The angel reminds him that the Lord is with him. He instructs Gideon to go in the strength he already possesses. That strength comes from the Lord.
The Israelites have been living in fear for seven years. Gideon needs some proof before he acts on the angel’s directive. Have you been there? Someone recently told me they used to pray, “God, if this is really from you, make my arm hurt.”
Gideon’s fleece test is well known. Something happens here, before Gideon puts out his fleece, which may give us insight as to why God responded to Gideon’s fleece and does not always respond to ours.
In verses 17 through 21, Gideon asks God for a sign. But Gideon does not simply sit back and say “show me.” He presents an offering to God. This is more than placing a check in the offering plate or doing a good deed. This takes time and significant preparation to prepare an offering showing honor and respect for who God is. This act of worship is all about God, not about Gideon.
Gideon then followed the instructions of the angel in presenting the offering. With a touch of the angel’s staff, fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. At this, Gideon was convinced that the Lord was with him and he became more afraid of God than the enemy that had oppressed the Israelites for seven years. But God said “Peace. Do not be afraid.”
When you ask “if the Lord is with me, why has all this happened,” ask yourself a these questions. Are you responding to your circumstances as a mighty warrior with the power of God in you? Do you honor and respect the presence of God that you say is with you? Are your circumstances the consequences of turning your back on God? Do you need to present your offering to Him and restore your relationship and confidence in Him? Do you fear God more than your circumstances?
If you have accepted the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died to pay the penalty for your attempts to live life your own way; you should also know that Christ came back to life and restored the relationship of mankind to God so that God’s power can now live in you. This is the Holy Spirit.
What you must remember is that the Holy Spirit does only the will of God. To live in the power of God’s will, we must fully submit to Him. He does not give us His power to do as we please.
What is happening to you that God cannot overpower? God is not against you. He created you to be in a loving relationship with him. He is for you more than you can imagine. Do you want to see him active in your life? Jeremiah 29:13 promises that you will find him when you seek him with all your heart.
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. Look to Him and fear not.
The Israelites were God’s chosen people. In the time the above scripture was written, the Israelites had turned their backs on God and were living in fear of the oppressive power of their enemies. Gideon himself is hiding when the angel of the Lord appears and calls him a mighty warrior.
Gideon responds in a way most of us do. He was full of doubts, questions and fear. The angel reminds him that the Lord is with him. He instructs Gideon to go in the strength he already possesses. That strength comes from the Lord.
The Israelites have been living in fear for seven years. Gideon needs some proof before he acts on the angel’s directive. Have you been there? Someone recently told me they used to pray, “God, if this is really from you, make my arm hurt.”
Gideon’s fleece test is well known. Something happens here, before Gideon puts out his fleece, which may give us insight as to why God responded to Gideon’s fleece and does not always respond to ours.
In verses 17 through 21, Gideon asks God for a sign. But Gideon does not simply sit back and say “show me.” He presents an offering to God. This is more than placing a check in the offering plate or doing a good deed. This takes time and significant preparation to prepare an offering showing honor and respect for who God is. This act of worship is all about God, not about Gideon.
Gideon then followed the instructions of the angel in presenting the offering. With a touch of the angel’s staff, fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. At this, Gideon was convinced that the Lord was with him and he became more afraid of God than the enemy that had oppressed the Israelites for seven years. But God said “Peace. Do not be afraid.”
When you ask “if the Lord is with me, why has all this happened,” ask yourself a these questions. Are you responding to your circumstances as a mighty warrior with the power of God in you? Do you honor and respect the presence of God that you say is with you? Are your circumstances the consequences of turning your back on God? Do you need to present your offering to Him and restore your relationship and confidence in Him? Do you fear God more than your circumstances?
If you have accepted the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died to pay the penalty for your attempts to live life your own way; you should also know that Christ came back to life and restored the relationship of mankind to God so that God’s power can now live in you. This is the Holy Spirit.
What you must remember is that the Holy Spirit does only the will of God. To live in the power of God’s will, we must fully submit to Him. He does not give us His power to do as we please.
What is happening to you that God cannot overpower? God is not against you. He created you to be in a loving relationship with him. He is for you more than you can imagine. Do you want to see him active in your life? Jeremiah 29:13 promises that you will find him when you seek him with all your heart.
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. Look to Him and fear not.
"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things."
1 Chronicles 29:11 (NLT)
1 Chronicles 29:11 (NLT)
© 2005 Lisa Biggs Crum
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