Main Verse: Judges 6:11-27

Good morning,

After denouncing the nation for their sinfulness and leaving them hanging wondering, “Now what do we do?”, an Angel appeared to Gideon, the son of Joash. When the scene opens our hero is in a winepress threshing the little bit of available wheat. Gideon, like all of the people in Israel, was wondering, Where is this God that heard so much about?”. When the Angel met with him, two things stood out in Gideon’s mind: Being called a brave man when he was hiding in a winepress like a coward and, “If you are so concerned why are we in such dire straights, to begin with?” Then, the Angel delivered the Lord’s message and the nation’s answer to prayer, “I am going to send you” just like He had told Moses (Exodus 3:10); like Moses, our hero is given a task to complete which appeared to be overwhelming. Then the Angel said something to Gideon, that Moses didn’t hear, “Go in the strength you have”. Gideon then asked for confirmation from the Angel to be sure he was on the up-and-up in the form of a fleece.

The Angel had come in response to the prayers of the people and Gideon. The oddity in this whole thing is Angel’s greeting because why did call him “Brave”? What I surmise in that greeting is that the Lord knows the heart of his servants, the prayers they pray, and the things they do at a time when action is needed. Gideon could have been like Moses and played “20 Questions” and offered lame excuses hoping for the Angel to go away (Exodus 3:11-4:17); He could have said, “Yes Lord” and then ran away like Jonah. Instead, he put the fleece out and the Angel confirmed his identity and that was good enough for Gideon. Many of you today are like Gideon, you are praying, fasting, and seeking the Lord’s face for a family member, maybe your city, state, and/or Republic, and when everything looks like a “No go”, the Lord comes through for you and sends you of all people to accomplish the unbelievable. My encouragement for you is that you go in the strength you have and the Lord will do the rest.

I.H.S. MK

Father,

I am praying for this Republic, my state, my city, and my family. I know it grieves your heart to see people beaten and hopeless wanting the “Silver Bullet” answer only to be met with a closed door. You do not give us the answers we want, you give us the answers we need and most times we don’t like that because we have been so acclimated to the world’s way of doing business. Tonight, though, there are people on the precipice of the start of their ministry and, like Gideon, are putting out fleeces to get a word of confirmation. I pray for those people Lord that, Gideon, don’t have mountain-building faith but they do have a seed that has been planted in their hearts because of what you have already done for them. For them Lord I pray that you will lead them in the pathway that you have in mind for them. I pray for this ministry that you will lead your servant in paths of righteousness and write with power and conviction

In Jesus’ Name.