"And the angel of the LORD appeared to [Gideon] and said to him, 'The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.' ...And the LORD looked at him and said, 'Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?'"
Following the death of Joshua and other great souls, like Caleb, the writer of Judges states, "and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD..." (2:10). Israel soon plunged into unbridled idolatry, forsaking the LORD and following other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them (2:11-12). Soon one nation after another came against Israel, ravaging and raping the land and forcing the people into servitude. Under their oppression, Israel would finally cry out to the LORD, and the LORD, in His kindness, would give them a deliverer, which would last for awhile, then back into sin again. This is the story of Judges. This is the story of a people who lost the holy fire of God by trifling with the ways of the world, but also the story of the incredible mercy of God with a people who had become stupid with sin; a God who is forever ready to deliver broken hearts. Gideon is one of those "deliverers". He was a man who, even in the midst of his own doubts and depression, went against the prevailing current, standing against the ways that everyone else was embracing. He was pressured and pounded by this culture of degradation sweeping around him, but quietly held to a higher standard. He was much like the bug smashed up against the windshield, who said, “It takes guts to stick here”. That’s what caught God’s eye. Here was someone who wasn’t going along with the philosophy of “anything goes”. Here was someone who cared about the possible Presence and Power of God in a world that had sold its soul to other gods—gods that had effectively sucked the life out of God’s people. But things happen when God reveals Himself. And He revealed Himself to Gideon. Here's how the writer records this meeting: "And the angel of the LORD appeared to [Gideon] and said to him, 'The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.' ...And the LORD looked at him and said, 'Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?'" Take courage dear Christian. Your quiet, steady walk has caught the eye of heaven. You don’t think you can do much, but God is looking for people just like you. Be ready!
What? Oh, don’t worry, He’ll let you know. Be ready!
Following the death of Joshua and other great souls, like Caleb, the writer of Judges states, "and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD..." (2:10). Israel soon plunged into unbridled idolatry, forsaking the LORD and following other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them (2:11-12). Soon one nation after another came against Israel, ravaging and raping the land and forcing the people into servitude. Under their oppression, Israel would finally cry out to the LORD, and the LORD, in His kindness, would give them a deliverer, which would last for awhile, then back into sin again. This is the story of Judges. This is the story of a people who lost the holy fire of God by trifling with the ways of the world, but also the story of the incredible mercy of God with a people who had become stupid with sin; a God who is forever ready to deliver broken hearts. Gideon is one of those "deliverers". He was a man who, even in the midst of his own doubts and depression, went against the prevailing current, standing against the ways that everyone else was embracing. He was pressured and pounded by this culture of degradation sweeping around him, but quietly held to a higher standard. He was much like the bug smashed up against the windshield, who said, “It takes guts to stick here”. That’s what caught God’s eye. Here was someone who wasn’t going along with the philosophy of “anything goes”. Here was someone who cared about the possible Presence and Power of God in a world that had sold its soul to other gods—gods that had effectively sucked the life out of God’s people. But things happen when God reveals Himself. And He revealed Himself to Gideon. Here's how the writer records this meeting: "And the angel of the LORD appeared to [Gideon] and said to him, 'The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.' ...And the LORD looked at him and said, 'Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?'" Take courage dear Christian. Your quiet, steady walk has caught the eye of heaven. You don’t think you can do much, but God is looking for people just like you. Be ready!
What? Oh, don’t worry, He’ll let you know. Be ready!
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