LEARNING DAILY

Judges 6:13a, Then Gideon said to him, 'O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? (NASB)

We meet a man by the name of Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress. He is hiding from the Midianites and Amalekites who come to oppress Israel by taking everything they could from Israel, devastating the people and the land. The people of Israel were once again living in an evil way; God had delivered them into the hands of these evil people. “Gideon is hiding in a pit in the ground where he would be less visible and less vulnerable to a Midianite attack” (David Jerimiah Study Bible).

 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor." (Judges 6:12). O mighty man of valor” – it seems to be a strange greeting for a man hiding. Bible authorities believe this angel was the Lord Jesus Himself appearing to Gideon and it was the Lord Jesus who “saw Gideon for who he would become, not as he was” (DJSB).

Read the discussion that occurred between the Lord Jesus and Gideon, and you will no doubt recognize a common human element of questioning God’s presence when difficult times happen. Gideon and Israel are facing difficult challenges. Gideon expresses doubt and uncertainty about God’s involvement in his situation. The question is raised throughout God’s Word: Where is God when we are struggling, suffering, or feeling abandoned? Read the rest of verse 13 and you will read Gideon and the people of Israel had heard of God’s goodness and power; they had been taught Israel’s history and knew enough to keep them from turning to the idolatry and evil ways of those people surrounding them. Yet the people had fallen into a pattern of repeating a cycle of indulging in those practices they knew were wrong. Gideon asks in verse 13 why God has forsaken them and allowed them to be subject to the Midianites.

Does this sound familiar to a particular time in your life? Have you or are you now questioning God’s presence in your life? Does He seem distant or quiet during challenging times you are facing? If so, this verse is a challenge for you to reflect on what it means to walk in faith and trust that God has a plan for you, even when you do not see it or understand what He is doing in your life. It is a challenge to seek His guidance and His strength, even as you might be doubting. Trust that He is present with you even when you do not see and in ways you do not recognize. It is an encouragement to deepen your faith and your reliance on God and His grace. You know how to seek Him in His word, in prayer, and by remaining committed in your faith, even when you cannot see clearly what is ahead. Faith is not trusting in yourself but trusting in the One who knows all that is ahead of you.