You are a Force for God!
By Tom Shanklin
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” 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?” (Judges 6:12-14, NKJV).
In the sixth chapter of Judges we have the amazing story of how God took a man who was cowering in fear from the enemy and was defeated in his thinking and transformed him into a great champion for God. He can do that for you, too.
Israel was living in poverty because of their enemies. The Midianianites prevailed against Israel. Every time the Israelites would produce a crop, the Midianites and Amalekites would come with their livestock and destroy it.
Then Israel cried unto the Lord. As the scripture says, ”The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18, NKJV). Even though Israel had sinned, God heard the cry of their heart and responded. He sent a prophet to tell them that they had allowed fear of the surrounding nations to consume them. Then, God sent an angel to raise up Gideon to deliver Israel from their enemies.
Now, the man that God chose wasn’t a great leader of exceptional courage. In fact, he was threshing wheat in a secure location to hide if from the Midianites. That’s when the Angel brought the Word of the Lord, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
The Hebrew word in the original for “man of valor” is often translated as “army.” It also means strength, might, efficiency, wealth, and force. God was telling this man who was hiding out in fear, “You are a force for God!”
Isn’t that just like God? He often speaks a word to us that is completely contrary to the circumstances. When it is dark and dismal, he speaks light and life. He is the God who calls those things which be not as thought they were. So many times I have found that to be true. He speaks into our hopelessness and brings hope. He shines light on the path and shows us the way forward. Now we are to walk by faith and not by sight.
For Gideon, that was quite a challenge. He was consumed by the circumstances of his daily life. The hunger. The poverty. The fear. It was oppressive! “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
But the Lord responded, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
“Go in this might of yours!” What might? Did Gideon suddenly gain super powers? Was he Clark Kent being transformed into Superman? No. The might that was given to Gideon is the same might that has been given to you and me. It is God’s Word!
If God says Gideon is a mighty man of valor, then that’s who he is. If God says he will save Israel from the enemy, that’s what he will do. “Have I not sent you?”
Likewise, you are who God says, and you can do what He says you can do. If you are born again, God says you’re a new creature. Old things are passed away. All things have become new. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. And you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you. Your circumstances may seem dismal, but it’s time to hear the Word of the Lord. Let God’s Word paint a new picture in your heart. You are a force to be reckoned with! You are a force for God!
Pray a prayer like this:
Dear Father, thank you for your Word. You said if I receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior I am a new creature. Old things are passed away. I am more than a conqueror. And I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Jesus is my Lord, and I believe you raised Him from the dead. I am a force to be reckoned with. I am a force for God, in Jesus’ name.
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