The Lord is with You

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." ~ Judges 6:12

Our pastor often says that it is easier for us to see the potential in others and to see only weaknesses within ourselves. And that's exactly what happened when God spoke to Gideon. When the Lord first spoke to him, He called Gideon as he was seen through the Lord's eyes, as a mighty warrior. Now, the Lord always sees who we are in Him, even if we don't. Just look at what Gideon said to the Lord when he was told that he would save Israel: "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family," (Judges 6:15). That doesn't matter to the Lord. He doesn't look at us from earth's perspective, only from heaven's. The Lord, the Maker and Creator of all things, said to Gideon, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together," (v. 16). The Lord's answer is profound, yet simple: I, the Lord your God, will be with you. The Lord doesn't expect us to do it on our strength, after all, He remembers that He made us of dust and rib. Without the Lord, nothing is possible, but with Him and through Him and in Him, all things are possible!

When the Lord calls us, He often reveals to us the "finished product" and the next step. That's what the Lord did with Gideon and that's what He does with me, I'm sure it's what He does with you. When the Lord calls us, He doesn't reveal the "how's" of the matter, just the final piece that will bring Him glory. And then, He reveals the next step.

The Lord has called you. Don't worry about feeling adequate, prepared, ready, smart enough, strong enough, rich enough, or any of that. When the Lord calls us, He prepares us. As the Bible says, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong," (1 Corinthians 1: 27). What is your next step? What has the Lord called you to? When your fears of how it will get done, how will you do it, or how's it going to happen, don't fret. As was the Lord's answer to Gideon, it is also His answer to you: Don't you worry about the details, I will be with you.