You may recall the children’s song “Jesus Love Me.”
Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong.
Although this is a children’s song there is great wisdom in these words. In our story, Gideon saw himself as weak and in many ways that was true. But it is also true that He was strong because the Lord was with him. His strength was not in himself but the Lord.
11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!” 13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The LORD brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” 14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” 16 The LORD said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
Maybe you see yourself as weak and have been relying on yourself. By using our own strength and ability we often grind to a halt in life and wonder what to do next. It is usually at this time that we become teachable and moldable because we are willing to look to God. We are willing to look up.
Look to the Lord and take His hand. He is waiting to help you along your spiritual journey in life.
Also, remember the words of the Apostle Paul from 2 Cor. 12:10 – I am at peace and even take pleasure in any weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and afflictions for the sake of the Anointed because when I am at my weakest, He makes me strong.
To hear the story of Gideon, listen here:
Scripture quoted from Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jdg 6:11-16, 2 Cor 12:10). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.