City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’”

Judges 6:11-12 (NIV)

“…overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.”

Romans 8:37 (TLB)

Reflection

In 1200 B.C. Israel, wheat-threshing (loosening the grain from the husks, whether by beating the wheat or guiding a cow or donkey to walk over it) took place in open fields. On the other hand, winepresses were very small, enclosed spaces, sometimes dug into rock, and not at all suitable for threshing wheat. Gideon must have been quite afraid of the Midianites to endure claustrophobia and extend his work load significantly.

I don’t think any of his family or friends, even those who were well-meaning, would have called him a “mighty warrior,” or I’m sorry to say, thought he had the potential to be one. God greeted Gideon as “mighty warrior” and called him to save Israel by defeating the Midianites. Gideon resisted the honor of the identity at first, protesting he was unworthy and asking God for multiple tests to confirm His Word (we serve a very patient God!).

Soon, Gideon embraced his new identity as a mighty warrior, and even obeyed God’s command to whittle the army from thirty-two thousand to a small three hundred so Israel would know it was God who gave them victory. Through Gideon, God saved the Israelites and they had peace for forty years. I don’t think the mighty warrior threshed wheat in a winepress ever again!

Application

We get many messages about who we are, sometimes the messengers are well-meaning but the message is wrong. Only in God do we have The Truth of our identity. We are tremendously loved by God and through Jesus Christ we are victors.

God doesn’t just see who we currently are, He sees who we can be. Maybe you are seen as timid and are called to be a mighty warrior, or have a short fuse but you hear a Voice that says you have the potential to be patient. If we let Him, God takes our weaknesses and turns them into the opposite strengths. And if you feel you can’t do it, just remember: God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Prayer

Dearest Jesus, thank You for Your Truth. Thank You that through You, I am a victor and am tremendously loved. Please help me see myself as You see me. Please take my weaknesses and turn them into strengths. In Your name I pray, amen.