[One-Verse Meditation]

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

[Meditation]

The Israelites again did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so God gave them into the hands of the Midianites (v. 1). The oppression of the Midianites was so harsh that the Israelites hid in dens, caves, and strongholds in the mountains (v. 2), and were left with no food, as even their crops were seized (v. 4). Only then did Israel cry out to the LORD. It was now God’s turn to save them.

God sends an angel to call Gideon, son of Joash. And He gives him a glorious title that doesn’t fit his current state at all: ‘mighty warrior.’ But Gideon’s response to this calling is astonishing: “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… But now the LORD has abandoned us” (v. 13).

While we might initially scoff at his response, which is so unbecoming of a ‘mighty warrior,’ we soon fall silent. This is because our own image is no different from his. When unwanted situations and circumstances arise, doesn’t our faith unfailingly take a nosedive? Even if we don’t outwardly protest, “How could this happen to me?”, we are the very ones who fail to trust the God who works beyond our circumstances and lose all joy and gratitude in life.

Nevertheless, the Lord still calls Gideon, and us today, ‘mighty warriors.’ This is the most amazing news for us—the gospel. For God to call someone by a name is His promise to surely make them into that very name. Those who know this fact can rise again from the midst of despair. Not because the desperate situations disappear, but because they trust in God, who is the true ‘Mighty Warrior’ who enables them to overcome all things.

Now, we become curious about Gideon’s story, because we are about to see how God will raise this unremarkable man into a ‘mighty warrior.’ It is the same for us. In the very place where we discover our own pathetic state, we finally begin to anticipate what the Lord will do. With the very lips that uttered “Why?”, we will come to sing songs of praise and thanks. This is the power of the gospel, and its grace.

[Prayer]

Lord, it is true. We are unworthy to be called warriors. But because You have called us so, we live as ‘mighty warriors.’ So we cannot help but look forward with expectation—to our brilliant and glorious today that will unfold in You. Amen.
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(Daily Reading)

Judges 6:1-13