Judges Chapter 6: Verses 12-14 (NIV)
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
The angel of the Lord came to encourage Gideon, but it didn’t seem like he felt very encouraged. Like the rest of his generation, he’d heard all about the miraculous things God had done for Israel, but he had never experienced them for himself, so he questioned the angel with his doubts. Sometimes its not enough to hear what God has done for others, we want to experience it for ourselves, so there are times when God doesn’t mind us honestly questioning Him. Sometimes we find it really hard to believe that God is at work because we can’t see any evidence of it, but we need to learn to trust Him and do what He tells us. He won’t ask us to do something without His help. He told Gideon to go in just the strength that he had. God will take care of the rest.
This was just the beginning of Gideon’s journey with God, and God graciously answered his questions as he took each step. Gideon learned along the way how to listen and respond to God’s voice and we can too.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that You know us so well that You know how to encourage our faltering and shaky steps of faith. Help me to grow in faith and trust as my journey of faith continues. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.