Read: Judges 6:11-24
The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor. (v. 12)
Have you ever received the gift of specific and timely encouragement? A word of blessing spoken at just the right time has the power to change everything. Perhaps you were feeling anxious, but someone called you brave. Or maybe you were feeling inadequate, but someone reminded you that in Christ you are more than enough.
Romans 4:17 reminds us of this incredible truth: God “calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (NKJV). The angel in today’s passage did just that for Gideon, calling Gideon mighty and valorous before he was. In a beautiful twist of irony, what Gideon was called by the angel of the Lord became his calling. The man found hiding from his enemies in a wine press was to become the deliverer of Israel. Before he took any action at all, the anxious and doubtful Gideon was told by the angel, “Go in this might of yours” (v. 14).
We can be encouraged by Gideon’s encounter with the angel because Gideon’s fear, doubt, and questioning was not enough to make God un-choose him for the task of liberating Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. The same is true for us. Our fear and insecurities are not enough to turn away the one who tells us, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isa. 43:1).
As you pray, thank God for his presence with you and ask him to show you how he is calling you.
Katelyn J. Dixon is a contemplative writer, speaker, and poet living in the Seattle area. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys cooking, photography, and exploring the enchanting Pacific Northwest with her husband, Drew, while partnering with him in life and ministry.
