[The Glory Unveiled]
And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. [ Judges 6:13 KJV ]
There is a common notion held by many people that if God is with a person, they are not supposed to experience challenges. However, we can discern from our text above that the presence of challenges is not an indication that God is not with a person, nor is the absence of challenges a sign of God’s presence with someone. So, the fact that God is with you will not always lead to the absence of challenges. In fact, the absence of challenges is not a sign that God is with you; often, the opposite is true. Gideon was a weak, fearful man who struggled with an inferiority complex. In the way he described himself and his need for validation from God regarding what God said He would do, it becomes clear that he didn’t have much faith in himself. Sometimes, challenges reveal the investment of God in us. Until the Midianites taunted the Israelites, Gideon wouldn’t have realized that he had something to offer in the deliverance of his country and people. The presence of challenges in the face of God’s abiding presence is a call to unleash the treasures of God’s mighty deposit of power within you. It is not a confirmation of God’s absence; rather, it is an opportunity to exercise our faith. When the disciples called out to Jesus for help during a storm, Jesus asked them, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:23-24). Jesus expected them to rebuke the storm because they had the power to do so. Meanwhile, the storms occurred even though Jesus (God) was with them. The storms were not a sign that Jesus wasn’t with them because He was. Instead, it was an opportunity for them to display their God-given power. The next time you face a storm, don’t question like Gideon whether God is with you. Instead, confront your storm with faith and turn the situation around for God’s glory.
Prayer_Bead: Mighty Father, thank you for the deposit of your power in my life. Help me to unleash it in the calming of every storm around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wisdom_Quote: Battles are not an announcement of God’s absence in a life.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.