"THE LORD IS WITH YOU!"

Then Judges 6:12-16                              (ESV)
"12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "THE LORD IS WITH YOU", O mighty man of valor."
13 And Gideon said to him, "Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian."
14 And the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?"
15 And he said to him, "Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I AM THE LEAST in my father's house."
16 And the LORD said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man."



The recollection of Gideon being used of GOD to deliver Israel from the Midianites is a miracle that must not be overshadowed.  The first thing the angel of the LORD told Gideon was "THE LORD IS WITH YOU"!  Then, in Judges 7:2 GOD told Gideon that people he had with him were "too many for me", so 22,000 returned to their home and 10,000 remained.  Eventually, GOD reduced the number of men to 300 and said HE would only need that many to do what HE had Planned!  But as it turned out, all those 300 had to do was blow a trumpet and break some jars and GOD took care of the rest!

On top of everything else, Gideon knew he was not from the biggest or strongest tribe.  He responded to the LORD in Judges 6:15 "my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I AM THE LEAST in my father's house."  GOD seems to use those who deflect all of HIS glory!  But GOD knew he was obedient and wasn't too proud to give GOD glory for the battles, so HE tabernacled with Gideon.  Do I deflect HIS glory, or do I tend to revel in it??

GOD can use captivity to slow us down and teach us lessons.  Being held captive from  "this world" and all distractions is sometimes the only way we will listen to GOD?  Israel had been held captive for seven years (Judges 6:1), but that is nothing compared to the 430 years of being captive to the Egyptians (Exodus 12:40)!  GOD is INTIMATELY involved in our lives and HE KNOWS when HIS timing is right!   To say "THE LORD IS WITH YOU" can be easy to do.  To actually LIVE "THE LORD IS WITH YOU" may mean a time of captivity for you SO GOD CAN GET GLORY!!

Gideon went with fewer resources than "prudent" people might have thought was needed in obedience to GOD, and GOD received glory from it.  When "THE LORD IS WITH YOU" your hopes and dreams had better not be trusting in "common sense", as GOD's work is never "common"!   When life's circumstances seem to be more than you can bare, don't forget "THE LORD IS WITH YOU" has born much more than this before!  HE overcame death, the grave, and hell, all for me.............and you!  We just need to give HIM all of HIS glory, because "THE LORD IS WITH YOU" is not about us, but all about HIM!!