Not So Mighty Warrior

The thing I like most about Gideon is how poorly equipped he was for the whole adventure of battling the Midianites. When God first comes to recruit him, Gideon was hiding in a winepress threshing wheat because he was afraid of being attacked. If Braveheart started that way you would have thought Mel Gibson was a wuss.

This is the first thing the angel says to the cowering Gideon in Judges 6, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." Are you kidding me? If an angel found you hiding under your desk from your boss at work, would you deserve the title “mighty warrior?” If an angel found me hiding with my friends because I feel safe and comfortable with them, would it feel right to call me a “mighty warrior?”

No, but the first lesson in this story is that God sees things we don’t. God names our core, not our circumstances. He speaks to who we can become, not who we are in the moment.

Then, as per usual, there is a little complaining, “If the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?” If God is so big, how come this has happened? Why didn’t I get that promotion? Why can’t I find a friend?

And then verse Judges 6:14

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?”

I love that. God says “Go in the strength you have.” Do you ever feel like there’s some strength you’re waiting on? Some bit of wisdom or power or anointing that’s in the mail and as soon as you get it you’ll go out and do that thing God has been quietly whispering to you? It’s not coming. I promise. It’s not coming because you already have it. Jesus is already in you.

And you have to like the subtle sarcasm in the end of the statement. “Am I not sending you?” You get the sense that God is saying, “What? Are you kidding me? I am God. I mean seriously, this is me sending you. God. Alpha, Omega, Creator of the universe. Come on already. This is me we’re talking about and I said go.”

Some of you have more strength than you know. Some of you are already mighty warriors and today God is simply saying, “Go.”