Judges 6

“The Angel of the Lord came, and He sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine vat in order to hide it from the Midianites. Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’” Judges 6:11-12 (HCSB)

Most believers in Jesus have a favorite Biblical hero of the faith. We’d all love to be more like Jesus, but we generally choose guys like the apostle Paul or King David to identify. Ladies may choose Ruth or Esther.

Personally, I can identify with Gideon. He never considered himself a hero. He was just trying to get by. When we first meet Gideon, the Midianites raided Israel during harvest time. Gideon was secretly threshing his grain indoors because he was afraid of the Midianite raiders.

I identify with Gideon because he had no idea he was about to become a leader. As a matter of fact, he just wanted to be left alone. Gideon wished he were invisible, yet God was about to thrust him into the spotlight.

Because Gideon’s faith was low, he couldn’t visualize himself as a leader. So when the Angel of the Lord visited Gideon, He first pronounced Gideon as God created him: “Mighty Warrior.” God was letting Gideon know He desired to lead Israel through Gideon. God would be Gideon’s strength; therefore, an otherwise weak and low-esteemed individual was about to be at the center of God’s miraculous deliverance!

How do you view yourself? Are you a leader? More importantly, are you willing to let God lead you? If so, be prepared for the Lord to visit you during times of great trauma and stress. In a moment when you feel all hope is lost, perhaps, God may call you to act in a courageously faithful manner so that you can experience the victory, which is reserved for those who trust the Lord.

Are you willing to follow Him anywhere, anytime? Then the Lord is with you, mighty warrior!