WARRIOR’S HOPE IN THE WEAKLING

“GO IN THIS MIGHT of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” – Judges 6:14b

God’s Word awakens the WARRIOR’S HOPE in the WEAKLING: “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? (Jud.6:14). Gideon was called to be a judge at a time when his people had for several years been under the grip of Median oppression. They watched feebly as their land was invaded, homes devastated, lives upset, and impoverished to the ‘end of their rope.’ In distress they cried out to the Lord, and He sent them a prophet to remind them of His Grace in their lives and call them to repentance (vv.6-10). Along with the Message of Hope, God also raised a Man to deliver His people.

God chose an unlikely leader, Gideon, who didn’t see himself the way God saw him, and responded to the call with doubt, fear and resistance: “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the WEAKEST in Manasseh, and I am the LEAST in my father’s house” (v.15). Wheat was usually threshed out in the open, allowing the wind blow off any leftover grain or chaff. But Gideon hid in a winepress, in a hole, for fear. Although his name means “He who cuts down,” Gideon didn’t look like he had much to offer. However, through encounter with God’s Word of Hope, this ‘coward’ arose to cut down the enemies of God’s people and deliver them from poverty, persecution and powerlessness. With God’s help, he rallied troops to defeat the Midianites, and continued to lead the nation of Israel for another 40 years.

Gideon was discouraged, doubtful, and fearful, but God pumped Hope into him, turning him into a courageous, passionate, and empowered leader. Despite having seen himself as unqualified and inadequate, his decision to go in the might he had, gives us an inspiring example to follow. It teaches us that God can awaken Warriors in weaklings and turn the timid into triumphant Champions, making significant impact! Many Believers are faced with times of economic uncertainty raising fear of poverty, of growing hostility to God’s work, and of diminishing spiritual power among some of His people. These times resemble what Gideon and Israel faced, but the God of Hope remains the same!

Many heroes of Faith in Scriptures would have had reasons to think they were unqualified to do what God had called them to do, based on what they saw in their own lives. They would have lived insignificant lives if they had decided to define themselves by their flaws, weaknesses, or limitations. With Hope and Faith in God, our weaknesses can become strengths; and we can leverage on our limitations. No matter how small, settled, or weak we might feel, God doesn’t see us as we see ourselves. He patiently works with us and shapes us, if we are willing to “go in the strength we have”: “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor.12:9).

Though Gideon had resigned to the oppressive situations in his life and settled for survival, hiding in a hole, God saw him for who he could become – a Conqueror, not a coward. GOD’S PERCEPTION of us is unique. He knows us far better that we know ourselves (Psa.139:1-3). He specializes in using weaklings who think they can’t, to accomplish His work in the world. His eyes and ears are with us: “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psa.34:15). Even when we don’t see or sense it, His PROMISES and POWER are available for us. The best thing we can do is to take our lives, with all the problems, failures, and shortcomings and place them in the hands of the Lord. He is able to take us as we are and transform us into something amazing by His power – Mighty Warriors of Valour!