Qualified

"Go in the strength you have… I will be with you."

- An Angel of the LORD, Judges 6:14-16

"Your strength is enough… when God makes up the difference!"

- Anonymous

So… tomorrow I'm going to be the very first Mystery Reader in my five year old granddaughter's kindergarten class. And, boy, am I nervous! I feel like it's my first day of school. Will they like me? Will they think I'm too old? (Duh!) Will Shiloh be happy or embarrassed that her PawPaw showed up in her class as a surprise? My anxiety prompted me to choose a book to read entitled, We Don't Eat our Classmates! (Smile) It's about a little dinosaur, named Penelope, who’s very nervous on her first day of school. It's a must-read!

When's the last time you faced a situation that caused you to question your adequacy? You ever feel unequal to a task God has called you to?

Maybe, today. you're looking at a conversation you need to have with your teenager, as a parent, that just makes you feel incompetent. Maybe, that project at work or that assignment at school just makes you feel so unqualified. Or there's just no way you are capable of providing the care someone is going to need after that accident. Every day, you and I are surprised by challenges that overwhelm us and problems that make us feel totally inadequate… like Gideon. You remember Gideon?

In Judges 6, after enjoying 40 years of peace, Israel has fallen away from God. The people have chosen to chase after false gods who represent comfort, prosperity, immorality and, as a result, they have grown weak in character and in strength. The Midianites… a powerful band of Bedouin warriors… see their opportunity, and they attack and dominate Israel for seven years! Desperate, oppressed, and terrorized, the Israelites cry out to God for help!

So an angel of the LORD comes to a farmer named Gideon and they have a conversation that goes something like this:

Angel:  "Hello, Mighty Warrior! The LORD is sending you to rescue Israel!"

Gideon:  "Mighty Warrior?! Who, me? You talking to me? You must be out of your mind! I'm scared to death!"

Angel:  "Go in the strength you have… I am with you!"

Gideon:  "Go in my strength? What strength? I'm a farmer, not a warrior! I'm the smallest in my family! My tribe is the smallest in Israel."

Angel:  "32,000 Israelites have responded to my call to fight with you… But we have a problem."

Gideon:  "YA THINK?! The problem is there are 131,000 Midianite warriors… that's 450 to 1! We're out-numbered!”

Angel:  “No. The problem is… you've got too many men. God wants you to choose only 300.”

Well, you know how the story ends. Three hundred Israelites follow Gideon at the break of dawn, racing with torches, smashing clay pots, and yelling, "The sword of the LORD and Gideon!" And 131,000 Midianite warriors scatter like sheep. What happened? Gideon's weakness was met with God's strength. Are you in a situation today where your fear is big and your faith is small?

Listen, your strength is enough… when God makes up the difference! When your obedience starts small, God will step in big!

So, whether it's a Kindergarten class, or a boardroom, or a doctor's office, or a counselor's office… an operating room or a memorial service… "Go in the strength you have."

And Almighty God, through His Spirit, will make up the difference! AMEN

Pastor Harry

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