Little Chats With God

Posts Tagged ‘how God sees us’

“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’.” Judges 6:12Judges 6:12
English: World English Bible - WEB
12 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him, and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor.

WP-Bible plugin (NIV)

Every time I read this verse, Lord, I have a picture of Gideon jumping up, spinning around in fear to see which of his enemies has discovered him in the wine press, then turning back to the angel in stark disbelief and saying, “Who? Me? You’re kidding!”

Certainly by all our human criteria, Gideon far better fitted the description “mighty worrier” than “mighty warrior.” All that You had done for Your people in the past had become to him nothing more than a bunch of nice stories. He had never tasted Your power for himself, and he had gotten to the point where he was not at all sure that You even cared for Your people, let alone for him personally. He saw himself as nothing, and acted accordingly. No doubt all his countrymen – to say nothing of his enemies – saw him exactly the same way as he did.

What amazes me, though, Lord, is that You saw something entirely different. You looked at this snivelling, pathetic creature, hiding in a wine press to thresh his wheat so that his enemies wouldn’t take it from him, not even entertaining the idea of fighting back against them, and You saw a warrior. I’m with Gideon, Lord: You gotta be kidding!

Of course, history proved that Gideon and I were wrong, and You were right (surprise, surprise!). Gideon did indeed go on to be all that You said he was, and to deliver his people from the oppression of their enemies.

But it makes me think about myself, Lord. There have been so many times when I have said things like, “I can’t do this” or “I can’t go on any further.” With all my being I have wanted You to either ease the situation or, for preference, lift me right out of it, but You haven’t done so. Could it be that, just as You saw a mighty warrior in Gideon the mighty worrier, You see something in me that is bigger, stronger and braver than anything I can see?

Lord, help me to see myself as You see me, and to live according to Your vision of me rather than my own.