GIDEON THE MIGHTY WARRIOR!

The Angel appearing to Gideon“

"The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 

“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” 

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 

“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” (Jud 6:11-16).

Mission Mismatched!

Gideon testing God's faithfulness

God sees to us not as man sees. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and our ways.

“"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

When God approached Gideon He said to him “The Lord is with you mighty warrior”. Gideon was not able to digest the image portrayed by God to him because Gideon was seeing himself in Gideon’s image not in Christ’s image. God’s love and favor & potential was too great than Gideon can image and think. That’s what the Bible says:

”For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him” (Psalm 103:11).

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph 3:20).

Gideon was in total failure and measuring God on his own experiences. How many times we have measured God on our own experiences. If God is with us why this would happen to me. If God is with me why Iam facing a trouble. If God is with me why misfortune taken me. If God is with me why Iam not succeeded in my efforts. Surely God makes us to go through all hard and bitter experiences so that He will make us more successive in all the things in future. Never Measure God according to your experiences. Some people say Iam succeeded and my experience says God is with me. No sometimes he allows misfortune so that He will use us mightily for His glory to deliver as many people from the kingdom of darkness. A believe must be ready to accept both Success and failures in a balanced way as Job said:” He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. 

Israel during time of Gideon

Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:10).

Job was saying exactly what God has intended. To praise him and believe in Him all the circumstances of our life. Remember How Abraham was blessed? Abraham was blessed mostly on difficult circumstances. He got son in his old age.Whern lot chose the greenery he chose the desert. When there was famine God blessed him in the Egypt. Joseph and Daniel had similar experiences but were blessed immeasurably.

Today God is remembering you that never measure God’s potentiality on basing your experiences of success and failures. If you are failed you will failed for God If you are success you will be success for God. The marah experience is must for every believer to taste the goodness of God’s blessings. Even God is with you may have to undergo through the valley of shadow of death but His rod will help you. Never discouragement and failure drift you away from the path of God.

Gideon defeating the Midianites

One of the most important things in the life of a believer is that identifying himself with his clan or caste. He says his clan is weakest in the tribe of mannaseh.People often identify themselves as weakest or weaker sections in the society even after born-again and repented. How sad it is today for Christians to be identified with their clan. Caste claiming to be the weaker section of the society. We may be weaker but God sees us differently His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We may be from weaker section, backaward classes or from forward classess.Never measure God on your own experiences of success, clan or caste or financial position in the society. You may be poor your parents may be illiterate or have no wealth.

The Bible says:” For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

The intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Gideon testing his men for the battle

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the 

Gideon Preparing & Examining the army for warfare

lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”^(I cor 1:18-31).

“So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty” (Zech 4:6).

See yourself in God's Image!

When the next time God calls you for a greater mission! See the image of God and His potential in your life.

“The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 

“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 

The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” (Jud 6:13-16).