You Are A Warrior

"The Angel of the Lord came, and He sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine vat in order to hide it from the Midianites. Then the Angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." Judges 6: 11-12

I believe someone really needs to hear this today. I don't know who you are, but God does. I pray that He guides you to this and that it ministers to you. It was a great reminder for me this morning.

Do you know the story of Gideon? If not, I will give you a quick back ground story. He was not in the army. He was just a regular guy, living in his land, but oppressed by the Midianites because God allowed them to take over when Israel was disobeying Him.

We can tell that Gideon was a regular person based on what he said to the Angel of the LORD.

Verse 13, "Gideon said to Him, "Please Sir, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened? And where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about? They said , "Hasn't the LORD brought us out of Egypt?" But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midian."

Ok, so this was thousands a years ago, and Gideon said EXACTLY what I hear people say today, "Where is God? Things are so bad here. Where are His wonders and miracles?"

Can I tell you two things:

1. He is here and He is not causing the bad stuff to happen.

2. You are a warrior and He is with you!

I really like what this Bible study said:

"Like Gideon, we sometimes fail to see our sin and our guilt, and so we rush to blame God for whatever we are going through. Sometimes our difficult circumstances are brought about by our own sinfulness, not because God has been unfaithful."

As much as we hate to admit it, sometimes the hard times are our own fault. It's not because God has left us, or because He caused it. It's because we caused it ourselves. 

God is faithful and just. And there are certain situations in our lives that we must learn lessons from. Especially if it's something we caused ourselves.

Gideon told God that he wasn't capable of delivering his people. He said, "Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." (verse 15b)

Do you know someone who puts themselves down? That's what Gideon did. "I am weak, and the youngest, I can't do this." You see, Gideon also was looking at his own strength. But we all know, when we are weak, He is strong, right? 

Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10, "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

We forget this, don't we? We think that God causes the bad stuff to happen in our lives as punishment for our mistakes. God doesn't work that way. If you are a Christ follower, when He looks at you, He sees Jesus. Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection gives you the strength and power you need to get through anything.

Gideon did go and deliver his people, with only 300 men! God amplified the sounds and made the other army think they were being invaded by some huge group of warriors.

God made the 300 mighty. It was not in their own power.

God wants to make you mighty too! You ARE a warrior! And with God, ALL things are possible. Not some things, not a few things...but ALL things.

What are you battling right now? Will you let God strengthen you and help you? He wants to.

God bless you today and always!