“IF I WANTED TO BOAST, I WOULD BE NO FOOL IN DOING SO, BECAUSE I WOULD BE TELLING THE TRUTH. BUT I WON’T DO IT, BECAUSE I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO GIVE ME CREDIT BEYOND WHAT THEY CAN SEE IN MY LIFE OR HEAR IN MY MESSAGE, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE RECEIVED SUCH WONDERFUL REVELATIONS FROM GOD. SO TO KEEP ME FROM BECOMING PROUD, I WAS GIVEN A THORN IN MY FLESH, A MESSENGER FROM SATAN TO TORMENT ME AND KEEP ME FROM BECOMING PROUD. THREE DIFFERENT TIMES I BEGGED THE LORD TO TAKE IT AWAY. EACH TIME HE SAID, ‘MY GRACE IS ALL YOU NEED. MY POWER WORKS BEST IN WEAKNESS.’ SO NOW I AM GLAD TO BOAST ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST CAN WORK THROUGH ME. THAT’S WHY I TAKE PLEASURE IN MY WEAKNESSES, AND IN THE INSULTS, HARDSHIPS, PERSECUTIONS, AND TROUBLES THAT I SUFFER FOR CHRIST. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM MADE STRONG” 2 CORINTHIANS 12:6-10
I CAN WORK WITH THAT
“…BECAUSE OF MIDIAN, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL MADE FOR THEMSELVES HIDEOUTS IN THE MOUNTAINS—CAVES AND FORTS. WHEN ISRAEL PLANTED ITS CROPS, MIDIAN AND AMALEK, THE EASTERNERS, WOULD INVADE THEM, CAMP IN THEIR FIELDS, AND DESTROY THEIR CROPS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO GAZA. THEY LEFT NOTHING FOR THEM TO LIVE ON, NEITHER SHEEP NOR OX NOR DONKEY. BRINGING THEIR CATTLE AND TENTS, THEY CAME IN AND TOOK OVER, LIKE AN INVASION OF LOCUSTS. AND THEIR CAMELS—PAST COUNTING! THEY MARCHED IN AND DEVASTATED THE COUNTRY. THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, REDUCED TO GRINDING POVERTY BY MIDIAN, CRIED OUT TO GOD FOR HELP.”
“ONE DAY THE ANGEL OF GOD CAME AND SAT DOWN UNDER THE OAK IN OPHRAH THAT BELONGED TO JOASH THE ABIEZRITE, WHOSE SON GIDEON WAS THRESHING WHEAT IN THE WINEPRESS, OUT OF SIGHT OF THE MIDIANITES. THE ANGEL OF GOD APPEARED TO HIM AND SAID, “ GOD IS WITH YOU, O MIGHTY WARRIOR!”GIDEON REPLIED, “WITH ME, MY MASTER?...”
DOUBT
“IF GOD IS WITH US, WHY HAS ALL THIS HAPPENED TO US? WHERE ARE ALL THE MIRACLE-WONDERS OUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS TOLD US ABOUT, TELLING US, ‘DIDN’T GOD DELIVER US FROM EGYPT?’ THE FACT IS, GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US—HE HAS TURNED US OVER TO MIDIAN.”” JUDGES
ANGER
“THEN THE LORD TURNED TO HIM AND SAID, ‘GO WITH THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE, AND RESCUE ISRAEL FROM THE MIDIANITES. I AM SENDING YOU!’” – JUDGES 6:14 NLT
AUTHENTICITY IS AN EXPRESSWAY TO THE PRESENCE OF GOD
“THE LORD IS CLOSE TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM, YES, TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM IN TRUTH” PSALMS 145:18 NLT
“GIDEON SAID TO HIM, ‘ME, MY MASTER? HOW AND WITH WHAT COULD I EVER SAVE ISRAEL? LOOK AT ME. MY CLAN’S THE WEAKEST IN MANASSEH AND IM THE RUNT OF THE LITTER.” “GOD SAID TO HIM, ‘I’LL BE WITH YOU. BELIEVE ME, YOU’LL DEFEAT MIDIAN AS ONE MAN.” JUDGES 6:16 MSG JUDGES 6:15 MSG
DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD WILL PERSONALLY GO AHEAD OF YOU. HE WILL BE WITH YOU; HE WILL NEITHER FAIL YOU NOR ABANDON YOU.” DEUTERONOMY
“GOD SAID TO GIDEON, “YOU HAVE TOO LARGE AN ARMY WITH YOU…” JUDGES 7:2 MSG
“…MY POWER WORKS BEST IN WEAKNESS…” 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9
GOD CAN’T BLESS WHO YOU PRETEND TO BE
“THEN HE SAID TO THEM, “YOU LIKE TO APPEAR RIGHTEOUS IN PUBLIC, BUT GOD KNOWS YOUR HEARTS. WHAT THIS WORLD HONORS IS DETESTABLE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.”
“BEHOLD, YOU DELIGHT IN TRUTH IN THE INWARD BEING…” PSALM 51:6 ESV
“…“GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” SO HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD, AND AT THE RIGHT TIME HE WILL LIFT YOU UP IN HONOR. GIVE ALL YOUR WORRIES AND CARES TO GOD, FOR HE CARES ABOUT YOU.”
THE ANGEL OF GOD APPEARED TO HIM AND SAID, “ GOD IS WITH YOU, O MIGHTY WARRIOR!
“WE HAVE BECOME HIS POETRY, A RE-CREATED PEOPLE THAT WILL FULFILL THE DESTINY HE HAS GIVEN EACH OF US, FOR WE ARE JOINED TO JESUS, THE ANOINTED ONE. EVEN BEFORE WE WERE BORN, GOD PLANNED IN ADVANCE OUR DESTINY AND THE GOOD WORKS WE WOULD DO TO FULFILL IT!”
“FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS THE ONE WHO GOES WITH YOU TO FIGHT FOR YOU AGAINST YOUR ENEMIES TO GIVE YOU VICTORY.’”