Gideon is threshing wheat in a winepress, which is basically the most cowardly possible way to do a routine task - he's hiding. And this angel shows up and calls him a mighty warrior. Gideon's response is essentially: you've got the wrong guy. I'm from the weakest clan, I'm the youngest in my family, I can't fight.
But the angel's greeting isn't based on Gideon's credentials. It's declaring what's already true because of God's presence. That word 'with' - the Lord is WITH you. That's the foundation for the calling. Not that Gideon has hidden warrior talents he hasn't discovered, but that God's presence makes someone capable of things they couldn't do alone.
I had a conversation with a young woman at church who felt called to plant a ministry but was paralyzed by her own inadequacy. She kept listing what she lacked - leadership experience, fundraising skills, theological training. I read her this verse. She cried. Not because she suddenly felt confident, but because she realized the confidence wasn't supposed to come from her credentials. It was supposed to come from the knowledge that God would be with her. That changes everything about how you step forward.
No comments yet. Be the first.