“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘ “I will never leave you nor forsake you” ‘ ” (Hebrews 13:5).
“Our Father who are in heaven; Hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This is what we long for Heavenly Father; to see Your love, Your mercy, Your justice, displayed in all the world! We know that that day is coming soon! Help us to be ready to welcome Your return to earth! We pray in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Our story began with Jesus (the Angel of the Lord) sitting under a terebinth (oak) tree, and then appearing to Gideon with the salutation: “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” And Gideon respectfully questioning that greeting: “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us . . .?”
Human nature is pretty much the same from generation to generation and from culture to culture, isn’t it? “If God, . . . then why?” I am so glad that our God is bigger than our doubts. Neither is He challenged by them!
Today our conversation continues about human feelings of abandonment by God, and God’s promise to never leave us nor forsake us. How will we reconcile the two? Let us return to the story of Gideon.
When the people of Israel cried out to God, God sent them word by His prophet: ” ‘ “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt . . . and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. . . ‘ “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” ‘But you have not obeyed My voice’ ” ‘ ” ‘ ” ‘ ” (Judges 6:8b-10).
Because of their disobedience, things had become so bad that Gideon had to shred the wheat in the winepress, as he hid from the Midianites. Therefore, it was out of the pain and frustration in his heart that he had questioned the Presence of God among His people.
“Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you” (14, emphasis provided)?
God did not reprimand him for doubting. Instead He confirmed his ability to do something about the problem. Based on what? The command of the Lord! “I am the One sending you!” So victory is guaranteed!
God could assure Gideon that it was he who would save Israel from the Midianites, because He (God) would be with him! What was happening had not taken God by surprise! God was way ahead of this situation!
My humble opinion is that sometimes what we consider a delay, is due to a difference between our timing and God’s timing; or God has not found the right man or woman for the task; or both. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9, emphasis supplied).
The time had come, and the Lord had found him a man who had a plan to deal with the enemy. In spite of this, Gideon was small in his own eyes. He was humble enough to be used by God! Listen to how he responds to the Lord,
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man” (Judges 6:15, 16, emphasis supplied).
God had been with His people all along, and was about to prove it.
This conversation continues!