A Mighty Man Of Valor
Then the angel of the Lord appeared to a man named Gideon, he said to him, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12). I always laugh at this statement because Gideon was anything but a mighty man of valor at that time. He was threshing wheat — not on the open threshing floor where it was normally done — but by the winepress in order to hide from the Midianites.
When the angel told Gideon the Lord was with him, he responded with doubt:
“Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” (Judges 6:13)
This certainly doesn’t sound like a “mighty man of valor” speaking, does it? Do you ever talk like that? “If the Lord is with me, then why has this befallen me?”
…Why did I lose my job?
…Why did my mate leave me?
…Why are my children on drugs?
In response to his question, the angel told Gideon:
“Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (Judges 6:14)
The angel told Gideon, “There is something so mighty in you, so powerful that it can deliver Israel out of the hands of the Midianites.” What was that might? It was the presence of God!
It doesn’t matter if you lost your job, your mate left you, or your children are on drugs. There is something so mighty within you that you can rise up to defeat the enemy.
I often wondered why God included the portion about how weak and fearful Gideon was in this biblical account, then God showed me that it was because He wanted to prove through Gideon what His presence can do through anybody. God can take a failure, a doubter, one who is filled with fear and intimidation — and when His presence comes upon them, they will become a mighty person of valor.
Gideon, who was hiding out threshing wheat when the angel appeared to him, was certainly not acting like a mighty man of valor. But God was not depending on what Gideon had to offer…
…He was not depending on Gideon’s bravery.
…He was not depending on his fighting ability.
…He was not depending on Gideon’s natural talents.
…And the same is true for you! God is not depending on your bravery, ability, or natural talents.
Make this declaration:
God is not depending on my bravery, my ability, or my natural talents. He is depending upon what He will make me through His mighty power.
