Life is a battle; that’s the bottom line. My fight may be different from yours, but we all roll with the punches. We suck it up, forge ahead and deal with things, whatever way the cookie crumbles. We tire. Our bodies ache. Our minds are fried. Our hearts are broken. Somehow, we go on. What was that, somehow? “Somehow” is what we are going to talk about today.
We’re going to the book of Judges, Chapter 6, for a little enlightenment. Gideon was the least of his tribe and when God found him, he was hiding out in a wine press, grinding wheat. He was scared to death of the Midianites. When the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, He referred to Gideon as “might warrior.” Say whhaaat? I can just see Gideons face turning white as He spoke!
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6:13
Be honest…have you never wondered the same thing? “If the Lord is with me, why is this or that happening?” We think, for some reason, that God’s presence in our lives is a guarantee that we will be shielded from troubles. We fail to see the value of our trials. Gideon did not yet see the value in his either.
“The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14
Gideon does not yet recognize the Lord and His strength. He is in the dark about the fact that God is going to use him to display it, because his response is this; “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
Gideon is looking at himself and his strength. He recognizes his weakness and his complete inability to win the battle. That, my friend, is the beginning of winning! In our upside down, inside out spiritual world, weakness is strength! “But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me .2Cor. 12:9
Christ’s power? What is that? I think of words like, unlimited, all knowing, all understanding, all for His own. God is with us! Is there anything to difficult for Him? When we are at the end of our rope, when we are scared to death, we can find peace and rest in the love and presence of God in our lives. We can know that even though we fight in the battle, God is with us! He will help us, just as He helped Gideon.
I think of my first day of High School. I was new to the area. I didn’t know anyone. My first or second day of school someone tried to pick a fight with me. Before I knew what was happening, my big brother and his friends were around me inquiring into the problem. Needless to say, there was no problem after that!
God’s word says, “The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” 6:16 Now Gideon asked for a little more reassurance, but God understood and gave it to him. Gideon did in fact fight and had victory over the Midianites. In a major way! But God showed him HIS power in the battle! Gideon learned through that fight who God was.
This is the value of our trials! Any time we get a closer glimpse of God, we win! I don’t know what your fight is today, but don’t lose hope! Acknowledge your weakness and behold the power of Christ resting on you! There’s an old hymn we sang last week, it goes, “Be still, my soul. The Lord is on thy side….” If you are trusting Jesus, God is indeed on your side. If you’re not, there’s no time like the present to start! Remember there’s a Someone in the “somehows” of your life, His name is Jesus Christ!