"The Lord turned to [Gideon] and said, 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?'" (Judges 6:14 NIV) Gideon was the least member of the weakest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. His task on the day in question was the tedious threshing of wheat, a process where the cereal grain is knocked loose from the chaff. But this devotional is not about agriculture. It's about God's ability to see you for who you are meant to be, not for what you appear to be. God saw Gideon as a mighty warrior and judge who would lead the Israelites back to their proper worship of God (Judges 6:12). Gideon, on the other hand, saw himself as just a guy cranking wheat through a creaky old winepress. But that didn’t matter to God. He told Gideon: “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:14 NIV) Take note: The strength of the Sender is more important than the strength of the one being sent. God asks, "Am I not sending you?" Gideon was still stuck in tunnel vision, believing what he thought and what he saw was the truth. To paraphrase the ancient Hebrew, Gideon told God, "I just don’t have what it takes, Lord. I know you’re perfect, but I think you made a mistake" (Judges 6:15). God, in a sense, says, "Get your head out of the wheat dust and pay attention to me. I will be with you and so, yes, you will strike down all the Midianites as if they are no more than one man" (Judges 6:16). It doesn't matter what Gideon said about himself or what others said about Gideon. Only one opinion counts: God's. What God says about Gideon is the truth. What God says about you is the truth. You are a precious child, created in his image, a sweet aroma that is pleasing to the Lord.
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Jon Walker is managing editor of Rick Warren’s Daily Hope Devotionals. © Copyright 2012 Jon Walker. Used by permission. What does living together as Christians look like? Read Jon’s book, In Visible Fellowship: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's Classic Work ‘Life Together’ |
