STRONG AND CONFIDENT, OR WEAK AND INFERIOR?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon,
he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
(Judges 6:12)

MEDITATION:
When we see Gideon referred to as a “mighty warrior” and compare
ourselves to him, we feel much more inferior. His description as a
“man of valor” is not how we would describe for ourselves. Was he
born this way, or did he develop this reputation?

Gideon did not start out this way. He was a fearful man who needed
encouragement and strength from the Lord. When the angel appeared
to Gideon, he was hiding out and threshing wheat to keep it from the
Midianites.
    “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the
      oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite,
      where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a
      winepress to keep it from the Midianites.”
      (Judges 6:11)

    When the angel told him that he would be used to save
    Israel, his reply did not sound like a “man of valor”.
    “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I
    save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and
    I am the least in my family.”
    (Judges 6:15)

Gideon didn’t say, “Let’s go do it!”,
he said, “How can I…?”
Gideon did not agree to take the roll of “savior of Israel” until
he received a lot of coaxing and encouragement from God.

God patiently worked with His “reluctant warrior” until Gideon
finally led the fight to drive out the Midianites. God met him where
where he was, and led Gideon to where He wanted him to be. Gideon
saw himself as weak and incapable, but God saw him as a
“mighty warrior”. He may have had a lack of confidence,
but with God he became a “confident man of valor”.

God can meet us where we are and lead us to where He wants us to
be too. We may have a lack of self-confidence that seems impossible
to overcome. However, we should remember that our God is the same
one that Gideon had. Just as God saw a ‘man of valor’ in Gideon, He
can see a powerful servant in you. He equips us with everything we
need to be a confident servant, and then He challenges us to be obedient
and serve Him.

ACTION:
God uses ordinary believers and transforms them into ‘mighty saints’.
For us to become extraordinary servants, we need to be available,
teachable and usable. If you are feeling inferior and worthless, then
reflect on how God transformed a fearful and reluctant man like Gideon.
Don’t depend on the world to give you confidence; turn to the dependable
source – God. Serving Him can give you a boost of confidence that the
world cannot provide or understand.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for caring enough about
me to take me where I am and lead me to where You
want me to be. Strengthen me so that when you move
me in different directions, I will not allow fears to be
in control and prevent me from being obedient to Your
will for my life. Give me the confidence I need in order
to boldly walk the path You have created especially for
me. Thank You for reminding me that what You did
with Gideon, You can do with me as well in a similar
way. Create in me a heart that is not fearful but looks
forward to serving You in whatever way You desire”.