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In addition to calling Gideon a mighty man of valor, God says something essential to us all in this scene.
He says, “Have I not sent you?” God is reminding Gideon that He is with him. But why is that necessary, and what does it have to do with our identity question?
In Judges 6:15, we read, “So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
God had given Gideon an extraordinary calling. God gave him his identity in Him as a mighty man of valor. And still, all Gideon could see was his shortcomings, his weaknesses.
Gideon’s tribe, Manasseh, was called the divided tribe of Israel in part because one-half of it lived on one side of the Jordan, the other on the other half, and there were outcasts among them.
To make matters worse, Gideon’s family was the weakest in one of the lowest tribes.
And then, to add insult to injury, Gideon was personally either the youngest or the weakest in his particular family.
In other words, Gideon believed every single negative thing a person can think about himself.
God’s response to Gideon’s identity crisis?
“And the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man,’” (Judges 6:16).
God does not dig in too much to see why Gideon feels so inadequate.
He simply says, “I will be with you.”
This is CRITICAL to our understanding of our identity.
Believer, God is with you. God is with you.
Instead of us pointing our fingers at ourselves and asking, “Who am I,” God says, “Who AM I?”
In other words, we discover ourselves in the journey of learning and loving God more.
Let me say that again.
We only discover ourselves in the journey of learning and loving God more.
A healthy perspective of self comes only when we have the proper view of God.
God tells Gideon, essentially, never mind about your tribe, family, and standing - none of that matters! Why? Because God was with Gideon.
God is with you.
God is with me.
And that changes everything.
Scripture
About this Plan
Who am I? The question of identity. A hot-button topic, to be sure. It's a question that often leads us to other pressing issues like, "What is my purpose?" "Does my life even matter?" In this reading plan, Carol Eskaros examines passages in Scripture when other great men of God grappled with their identity and what they learned - it just might surprise you!
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We would like to thank CAROL ESKAROS for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.rinseandrepeatministry.com/
