When God stirs our hearts to walk into a new season, many times, we don’t think we have what it takes to accomplish what God has asked us to do.
Gideon felt the same way. He was from the weakest clan in the tribe of Manessah – one of the tribes of Israel. The Israelites at this time were ruled by the Midianites and were severely mistreated because they had turned away from God and followed other gods. Eventually, the Israelites cried out to God for help and God handpicked His chosen servant to deliver His people from the Midianite oppression. This was Gideon’s response to God’s call: “Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The Lord said to him, ‘I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man’” (Judges 6:11-16 NLT). God told Gideon he was a “Mighty Hero” and was His chosen vessel to free Israel from the Midianites, but Gideon basically said, “You have the wrong person, I am weak and I am the least in my family…who am I that I should rescue anyone, yet alone Israel!” It is interesting that God said to Gideon, “Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites.” God wasn’t telling him to be someone God didn’t create him to be or tell him to do something he wasn’t capable of doing. God saw Gideon as a Mighty Warrior and had equipped him to overthrow the Midianites with His help. God was with Gideon to succeed and empower him for the task at hand!
We can learn a lot from this passage. God will never ask you or I to accomplish something He has not already given us the ability to perform with His help. God has provided us everything we need to fulfill our God-given destiny including: talents, abilities, divine relationship connections, resources and His favor. Many times, we don’t see ourselves the way God does. We sometimes think we don’t have what it takes to be a hero or leave our mark in this world, but God says we are “Might Warriors and Heros” just like he did Gideon. We have a unique plan and purpose that only we can accomplish. The world needs you and I to be ourselves! God created you for such a time as this. He is our Maker and He knows what we are capable of doing. Yet, we argue with God and make excuses why we can’t fulfill the job He has created us for much like Gideon did initially.
I have been going through a similar experience. Over the past several weeks and months, God has asked me to step into the ministry He put in my heart 12 years earlier. I have never had any experience in starting a non-profit organization and the task at hand seemed quite overwhelming to say the least. Yet, despite my lack of knowledge, God asked me to step out and trust that He will guide my steps. He has given me everything I need to succeed and He promises to be with me every step of the way! One night this week I went to bed a little discouraged and overwhelmed about how to raise financial support for my ministry. In the night, I woke up and turned on the radio and the song, Walk On The Water by Britt Nicole was playing. It was like God was speaking directly to me about stepping out and trusting Him that He will be with me every step of the way. I should not let discouragement and fear rule or dominate my thoughts and keep me from moving forward. Instead, I need to take action because God is guiding me!
Just like I am learning to trust God by faith and take that initial step, you can too! God wants us to lean on Him for guidance, strength and provision. As you take each step, you will be amazed that God is with you and will open the right doors, bring the right people across your path and provide financially for you. Don’t give up, don’t quit and don’t be discouraged. God will make a way where there is no way. God is supernatural and can make a miracle out of nothing. Will you take that first step?
Listen to Britt Nicole’s song Walk On The Water
