The following is an excerpt from our daily devotional series Faith that Overcomes.

Then the Lord turned to Gideon and said, “I will make you strong! Go and save Israel from the Midianites! I am sending you!” (Jdg 6:14 TLB)

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Many years have passed, and we find the Israelites being oppressed by the Midianites. God raised up deliverers called judges to free his people. Shortly after, they turned their backs on God and ended up in captivity only to cry out to God again. Although they kept betraying God, He was always faithful to answer their cries and remember the covenant He made with Abraham.

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When we first meet Gideon, he is no hero. He is hiding in a winepress threshing the little wheat he hid from the Midianites. They pillaged the land and took everything, leaving the Israelites with nothing. So here is Gideon hiding, when an angel appears and calls him a “mighty warrior.” Gideon questions the power of God. He wants to know why they have been abandoned? What happened to the God of his ancestors who split the seas?

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.” (Jdg 6:13 NLT)

Gideon didn’t see himself as God saw him. He called himself the weakest member of his tribe, even in his family. But the Lord reassured him, Go, and I will be with you (Jdg 6:16). After obeying God’s command, he mustered a troop of over 30,000 to defeat the Midianites. But the Lord said it was too many. God knew that if they trusted in large numbers, the Israelites would say they did this in their own strength. Gideon administered two tests, and the final result was a troop of 300. The Lord promised victory by only 300 men. They didn’t lift a single weapon. All they had were clay jars and rams horns and God gave them the victory. The massive army of Midianites turned against one another in confusion. God did as He promised. He not only delivered his people, but did it in such a way that they would know He was responsible for their deliverance. God took a weak man named Gideon and called him as He saw him. He didn’t see the weakest in the family. He saw a mighty warrior.

Times are getting very unpredictable. There are variations and different reports from everywhere. We never really know what to expect. Have you been afraid of what is to come? Like Gideon, have you been hiding in a cave, maybe not a literal cave, just laying low hoping it will all just blow over? The Lord is calling you out. He is calling you out of hopelessness. He is saying, who is this enemy that has you hiding? He is saying I am with you. I will give you the strength you need to continue. I am your strength. You only need to see yourself as I see you. 

Lord, if there is one thing Your people need now it is Your strength. It feels as if the enemy has had the upper hand for too long. Forgive me when I question You like Gideon. When I say, why are you letting this happen? Forgive me when I think, where are the mighty miracles? Let me never forget that You are the God of the wonders. You never ask too much of me, all You ask is for my obedience. I thank You that You never ignore my cries for help. You always hear me when I call. Lord we are being pillaged. Everything is being taken from us, and I don’t want to hide. Give me confidence to see myself as You do. Impart Your strength to me to take my stand. Even when it looks impossible and I am outnumbered, remind me that You can do miracles with my obedience and faith. As long as You are with me, what more do I need? I thank You that as I move in my faith, I will watch my enemies turn on each other and I will see Your victory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. (Deut. 20:4)

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (2 Chron. 16:11)

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IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo Credit: Puwadon Sang-ngern’s Images via Canva Teams.