Gideon is no different then us. He has his doubts and objections as to who God says he is. As a matter of fact, he even starts to get a little attitude with God in verse 13…

13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

The Lord doesn’t even respond to Gideon’s little rant. Just like how the father, in the prodigal son parable, virtually ignores and interrupts his sons repentance speech and immediately restores him back to his position in the family. In like manner, God turns to Gideon and cuts to the chase and says, “Go in this might of yours…have I not sent you?” You see, if your going to be a man or woman of valor you’ve got to…

Go in God’s Strength

God is the one calling you to go in His strength and He even takes the responsibility for sending you. “Haven’t I not sent you?” He says.

It would be like if President Obama called you up while you were working at Mc Donalds and said he’s giving you a 6-figure income if you go overseas for him as his ambassador. In addition to the salary, you would get free housing, a government-subsidized health insurance plan, government life insurance and five weeks vacation. Then Obama says to you, “I need you to go and represent the United States of America.” Now if you went from flippin’ burgers to representing the president of the United States of America it would be a pretty big deal.

Well the God of the universe just called Gideon to go in His strength and then promises him that he shall deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites. And instead of praising God for the honor, he begins to get an attitude with God about, “if he really was with them, then why is all this bad stuff happening to them.” Then he complains about how God used to move in the past, but now it seems like He’s not moving at all. God, I remember when you first called me; and all the miracles you used to work for me in the past. I remember when it didn’t look like I was going to get into college, but you stepped in and worked a miracle for me to go to school. God I remember when you used to deliver me out of my mess, but where are you now? Gideon sounds a lot like us doesn’t he? Yet he seems to have spiritual amnesia. He seems to have forgotten that the reason the children of Israel was in the mess their in, was because of their own disobedience. Yet here is God ready to save…ready to deliver…ready to restore! It’s it just like God to look beyond our faults and see our needs? God says I need you to go in My strength. God says, “I have called you a mighty man and woman of valor, not because of anything that you have done. Not because of your status or your strengths, but because My strength is made perfect in your weakness. You see it’s not about you! Your calling isn’t even so much about your degrees. Barry Black once said that some of the stupidest people he has ever met, he had to call them Doctor. No, God’s word to you is, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts!” Zechariah 4:6 God needs some people who will dare to go in His strength! To you He says, “have I not sent you?”