April 3 - Judges 6:15

But, sir, how can O deliver Israel?

My clan is the weakest in Manasseh,

and I am the least in my family.

Judges 6:15

 

Some people look at themselves and greatly over-inflate their value. But most of us are the opposite.

 

We've been abused, betrayed, and stabbed in the back. We've had peers advance much further than we. We've been told -- often by our own parents -- that we're incapable and irresponsible. Furthermore, we know our own weaknesses, shortcoming, sins, and failure. In general, most of us are a little insecure.

 

And guess what ... we should be!

 

Apart from God we're little people with little jobs and little influence in a little corner of a vast, vast world of six billion people.

 

But the whole point of the story of Gideon is that WITH GOD you are a champion! First your identity is -- Ephesians 1 -- blessed, chosen, holy, loved, destined, and God's good pleasure. You are a co-heir with Christ. Indeed you are adopted; you are the Lord's beloved child! And if you need more evidence, God loved you enough to die for you on the cross.

 

As Christians, we've got to get over this "poor-me" that the world has drummed into us. If your Father is the King, then you're a prince! Indeed, Romans 8:37, we are more than conquerers through him who loves us!

 

That's what Gideon was -- a conquerer through the Lord who loved him and his people Israel. And God proved for Gideon -- and for you and me -- what it means to advance wearing the armor of prince. Like David who stripped off the world's armor to go and conquer a giant, God asked Gideon to strip off the worldly armor of a mighty army and go fight 135,000 Midianites with just 300 men.

 

It's impossible for 300 men to conquer 135,000 ... unless God is on your side.

 

In what ways do you need to stop playing "poor-me" and embrace the identity, truth, and power, that God is on your side?

 

In Christ's Love,

a fellow prince