You want me to do WHAT?

Soothing Psalms
Ps 78:37-39
“Their hearts were not really loyal to God… Still God was merciful… He remembered that they were only human, like a wind that blows and does not come back”

Judges Ch 6
One day the angel of God…came to Gideon and said “God is with you, O mighty warrior!”
Gideon replied, “ With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, “Didn’t God deliver us from Egypt?’ The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian.”
But God faced him directly: “Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven’t I just sent you?”
Gideon said to him, me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me, my clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the runt of the litter.”
God said to him. “I’ll be with you . Believe me, you’ll defeat Midian as one man.”
Gideon said, “If you’re serious about this , do me a favor: Give me a sign to back up what you’re telling me. Don’t leave until I come back and bring you my gift.”

I love the story of Gideon. His country is devastated. They are living eyeball deep in the choices that they made, and it has caused them to question God. (How very much like me… My choices leading me to question God)

Their enemy is ravaging them to the point that they have NOTHING! Like grains of sand, everything they try to grasp at slips through their fingers leaving them empty and afraid.

This is where the angel of God finds Gideon… Hiding out in the wine press threshing wheat.
Trying desperately to steal away to scrounge up a small meager meal.

Yet the angel of God calls him “Mighty Warrior” and commissions him for duty. He tells him to tear down the Baal idols that have been set up and to offer a sacrifice to God on the alter.

Gideon’s response… If you are really sent by God…. Wait here while I go get you something to eat. What does he make… Stew! Not a quick go grab something; but something that takes time. (I can imagine he was hoping when he returned that the angel of God would be tired of waiting, or that this was all some sort of bad dream and would be gone)
He wasn’t!

So reluctantly Gideon obeyed the command of the angel and tore down his father’s alter of Baal and offered sacrifices to God… In the middle of the night, bringing along 10 men, so that nobody would know that it was him.
But they found out!

Here Gideon is pumped! And in his zeal blows his rams horn… calling out his enemy to a fight.
Other’s respond to the battle cry!

Then the reality of what is about to happen sets in and again Gideon sets out a test for God… (two in fact, just incase there is some sort of fluke the first time)

God answers… then cuts Gideon’s men from 30 companies… to 300 men!

I am sure at this point there was probably a great deal of reluctance and nervousness on Gideon’s part!

God then uses Gideon to destroy the enemy!

I love the story of Gideon… why because he is so much like me.
I find myself eyeball deep in the choices I’ve made, grasping at the sand that keeps slipping through my fingers… hiding out from my enemy trying to eek by with just enough to calm the rumbling of my stomach when God finds me, looks me in the eye, and calls me Mighty Warrior!

He knows my fears that tend to consume me, and is patient in meeting my needs… all the time building my courage for the battle that lies ahead.

God uses ordinary everyday people to do his extraordinary work. And it will never cease to amaze me! Why? Because he remembers who I am… just like I remember… all my failures, all my wrong choices… all my stupid mistakes… all my fears… yet He chooses to love me… to use me and to call me by who he has created me to be… A Mighty Warrior used for the King of Kings!