A Battle Already Won

I am reading through the Old Testament and had to stop and reflect when I got to the story of Gideon. It stuck on me because most of us tend to think that the people in the Bible had this great faith when the Lord approached them... but in this story we see that those that were called were much more like us than we think. 

From Exodus all the way through Judges, we see how the Israelites were constantly disobeying the Lord, then crying out to Him when they faced consequences without the Lord, He would forgive them... and then the cycle would begin again. 

Much like us when we distance ourselves from God and then realize we need Him when things come crashing down. 

The Israelites had disobeyed for a very long time and cried out to God for help because they were in the hands of Midian (which caused them to live in caves and became very poor).

So one day an angel of the Lord came and sat under an oak tree that was in the land that belonged to Gideon's father.

Gideon was threshing wheat by the winepress. The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and says: The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. // Judges 6:12

And what does Gideon say? He asks the Lord if He really is with him why have all these bad things happened to them, why did God abandon them?

Funny how we tend to ask the same questions when things are bad for us huh?

The Lord turns to Gideon and responds:

Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you? // Judges 6:14

BOOM. 

The Lord pretty much tells Gideon instead of asking where has He been and why hasn't He helped them... He says I'm here for that reason and I'm sending YOU.

Gideon goes on to say he isn't worthy and I can almost imagine God shaking His head and giving a little laugh as He tells Gideon that He is with him and not only will he defeat Midian... but he will do it as one man.

The next few verses shows Gideon asking God for proof that He is really with him... and the Lord patiently provides it over and over again. How amazing is that?!

I won't go though the entire story (turn to Judges 6-7 in Bible) but what goes down is pretty much the Lord has Gideon round up men for battle... and Gideon takes too many. 

The Lord eventually only leaves it to 300 men... and in the middle of the night they are instructed to blow their trumpets and the lanterns they have in their other hand breaks as they shout "For the Lord and Gideon!"

This causes the Midianites to run for their lives and the Lord causes them to turn against each other. 

And this is how Gideon defeats the Midianites... there was no battle! The Lord fought it for them. 

So what am I getting to? 

We are all guilty of complaining to God when things go wrong and why aren't things getting better. 

But what happens when we are called? Do we follow and trust God has it under control.... or do we cower away and say this isn't my battle to fight? I'm not good enough (insert all the excuses). 

When God calls us remember this ... He doesn't call us because we are brave or that we are the best of the best. 

He doesn't call us because He knows we'll do the job correctly. He calls us because despite our shortcomings, He just needs us to show up and trust Him... because the battle has already been won.