What Did You Call Me? - Encouragement Café - March 16, 2017

What Did You Call Me?
By Noelle Dey
Thursday, March 16, 2017

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

Have you ever felt upside down in a right-side-up world?

Gideon was called to service by the angel of the Lord.  His mission was to save the Israelites from the hands of the Midianites.  The odds against him were insurmountable. 

He responded with logic, “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15

But the Lord saw Gideon through godly lenses, not human eyes.  In God’s economy, the least and the weakest saved the Israelites from the enemy.  He destroyed the idols that his father and the community worshipped.  Israel’s fifth judge, who was renowned as the greatest, was this self-proclaimed least and weakest man.  He is counted as a great man of faith in Hebrews 11:32-34.  Gideon was a mighty warrior.

We see the secret to his success in verse 16. The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Gideon courageously took action.  But it was the Lord who showed His greatness through this least and weakest vessel.  Even though it was God who empowered Gideon, God still called Gideon a mighty warrior.

The same holds true for me.  Growing up I was told, “You’ll never amount to anything.”  I took countless wrong relational turns trying to find love.  I embraced a pattern of lying to avoid being caught in my sin.  But God looked at me and called me a mighty warrior.

My husband is a carefree musician who battled severe anxiety, depression and OCD.  He somehow made it in life going paycheck to paycheck.  He even chose to live in his car for a year.  He is a mighty warrior.

Our Chinese-adopted daughter was born female in a male-dominated country.  The orphanage had a 25 orphan to one caretaker ratio.  In her first 20 months of life, she received little physical attention.  This beauty is a mighty warrior.

The same holds true for you.

Maybe you relate to Martha in your never-ending cycle of busyness.  God looks at you and calls you a mighty warrior.

Or you might be impulsive like Peter.  Hot one moment and cold in the next.  Jesus winks at you and whispers, “You are a mighty warrior.”

Maybe you are an outcast and the story of the Samaritan woman makes your heart skip a beat.  Regardless of your broken past, or your current knee-deep sin, your Heavenly Papa calls you a mighty warrior.

We may very well be the weakest and the least.  But God is telling us to go in the little strength we have.  He is sending us.  He will be with us.  He will strike down the enemies.  We have already seen His glory.  And what does He give us?

His shalom peace: completeness, welfare, safety, soundness in our bodies, health, prosperity, contentment and friendship. Judges 6:23-24.

Are you faced with insurmountable odds today?  Do you feel like the least qualified candidate for the tasks in front of you?  Write, “Hello, my name is Mighty Warrior” on a notecard and place it somewhere where you will see it often.  You might be upside down to the world, but you are right side up in God’s eyes. 

Heavenly Papa, Thank You for Gideon’s story.  His story is our story.  Thank You for reminding us that when we are upside down in the world’s perspective, we are right side up in Your eyes.  It’s not because we are great, but because Your greatness is seen best through our brokenness.  Help us to embrace our weakness today so the world sees You through us.  Thank You for the shalom peace that You promise us!  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

© 2017 by Noelle Dey.  All rights reserved.

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