Daily devotional · June 5
Mighty, Though Unsure
“Then 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 hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.” The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?” “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.””
Gideon is threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from enemies, when an angel greets him as a mighty warrior. The title does not match what he sees in himself. He answers with excuses: my clan is weak, and I am the least in my family. God does not argue with his feelings. He simply promises his presence: I will be with you. Notice that God speaks to who Gideon will become through him, not to who he currently feels like. If you have ever thought you were not qualified for what God asked of you, you are in good company. Today, think of one task you have been avoiding because you feel too small. Take one modest step toward it, and pray that God's presence, not your confidence, would carry you.
Prayer
God, when I feel small, remind me that your presence is enough to make me brave.