Judges 6:1-16
6 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains.
3 So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.
4 Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.
5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it.
6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites,
8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage;
9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 Also I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My voice.’ ” Gideon
11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
15 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.”
16 And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
Israelites were giving the land of milk and honey. Meaning that he gave them the cream of the crop. However, the Israelites did not obey God and do what they were told.
The Midianites would come in Chapter 5 with their tents, in such a large number as if they where locust.
They would come with their Camels in great numbers and destroy all of the Isrealites crops, and animals and destroy everything they came upon.
Judges 6:10
10 Also I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My voice.’ ” So, God sends a prophet named Gideon to help solve the problem. However, even Gideon is doubting himself. But, the Lord sends an Angel to talk to Gideon.
1. God Has A Plan For You
Judges 6:11-12
11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
While Gideon is doubting himself and what he can do the Angel of the Lord came to him and said "Mighty Hero"
How many times have you ever sat in your home and felt like God had left you in the middle of a war zone by yourself.
It is easy to get discouraged and feel alone. But, I want you to know something and that is this is not always God that has left you feeling alone, however it is usually the devil that has worked to place you in the jungle alone.
Know that in the midst of your trouble and problems God still has a plan for your life. He is sometime molding you and giving you a testimony to know where you stand and who God is.
Judges 6:13
13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Gideon is then told by the Lord in Verse 14 "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?" God has a plan for each of you.
Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
NLT Version says "we are God's masterpiece." God has had a plan for you before you were born. Before you got saved.
2. God Will Give You Strength
Judges 6:14
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” In the last part of this scripture he says "Have I not sent you?" Another Word I am sending you. Gideon is saying to God I am weak and I can't do this. My Family is the weakest of our clan and I am the weakest of my Family. But, God still says go and I will be with you.
If God sends you to do something then He will give you strength to accomplish what you where sent for. If God tells you to tell someone about Him then he has already given you the strength to do so.
Maybe God tells you to pay for someone's lunch, groceries, or gas. He is telling you that not because of you thinking that you don't have the money, but because He has already equiped you with the finances to do just that. I AM this is the name of God
Isaiah 43:1-3
43 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Exodus 3:13-14
13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Judges 6:16
16 And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall [e]defeat the Midianites as one man.”
3. God Is By Your Side
John 8:58
58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Matthew 28:20
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Even though you may not fell like it if you are a Christian then you need to know that God is always by your side. God does not leave you nor forsake you.
Those times when you feel things are not going your way God is there.