What might God call you that would be completely unexpected?  Perhaps He calls you a teacher, a friend, a giver, a speaker, a missionary, an encourager, a helper, a servant, a preacher, a politician, a unifier, a difference-maker, or some other thing that would make you say, “You’ve got to be kidding me!  That’s not what I am.  There is no way I could do that!”

I love the story of Gideon found in Judges chapter 6 and following.  He can relate to God having a different view of you than you have of yourself.  In the context, the nation of Israel has been experiencing severe oppression for seven years as judgment from God for their evil ways.  Finally, the nation cries out to God for relief and help because the desolation and destruction caused by the Midianites is so severe.  God hears their cries and His initial response is to send a prophet who speaks the Word of God to them and tells them that they have brought the judgment upon themselves because they have refused to listen to God.

I have to believe that there was some kind of repentant spirit or action that is not written because the next step of God’s response is an angel of the Lord appearing to Gideon.  Gideon is found in a winepress but he is not pressing out grapes, he is hiding his wheat crop and threshing out grain hoping the Midianites will not find him or his crop and destroy it.  Then God shows up with the unexpected greeting, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”  Gideon’s response is classic.  Does it sound familiar to you? — What! . . . Mighty warrior? . . . The Lord is with me? . . . I don’t think so!  Gideon not only could not see himself as a mighty warrior, he definitely didn’t see God as “with him”.  He challenges this messenger of God, believing that the nation could not be in the condition it is in if God were truly close by.  No, God had evidently abandoned them and given them over to the Midianites.

Yet, even in his doubt and fear, Gideon wants to believe.  When God tells Gideon that he is to go and save Israel out of Midian’s hand, Gideon wants it to happen but doubts his ability to get it done.  After all, he is not only of the weakest clan in all of Israel, he sees himself as the weakest person in his entire family.  His thoughts seem to go along the line, “Okay, maybe You do want to finally rescue us, but I cannot be the person that accomplishes that.”  God’s response is, “Of course not!  I will be with you!  I’ve called you ‘mighty warrior’ because I am close at hand.  Go in the strength you have — the strength you have is Me!”

Gideon is known for a variety of things and mighty warrior is not often one of them.  He is known for his “testing” of God.  The original “putting out the fleece” idea seems to be his.  I think Gideon knew himself and his ability but still wanted God to act and rescue the nation.  Gideon knew that if God wasn’t really with him, it would be a very short rescue effort.  Somewhere in the process, Gideon learned to trust God.  He doesn’t seem to balk when God reduces his army to a mere 300 men.  He goes along with God’s plan for the battle and arms each of his men with a trumpet and a torch covered by a clay jar.  I have to tell you, that this battle plan sounds even crazier than the Jericho battle plan, yet Gideon and his men faithfully carry it out.  As Gideon and his men surround the enemy camp, they blow their trumpets, smash the clay jars exposing the torches, and shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”  Then God does His work.  The Midianites turn on one another with their swords and take off in full retreat pursued by the Israelites.  God’s “mighty warrior” lived up to his name, not by his power, might or wisdom, but by obediently following the God that was with him.

So, what about you and me?  When God calls you to teach a group of junior high students about him and you feel you can’t, do you hear Him saying, “I am with you”?  Or when your neighbor or coworker needs an encouraging word and a representative of Jesus to speak truth to them, do you hear Him saying, “I am with you”?  Years ago, when I was in my early twenties, I dropped out of college because they were requiring me to take a speech class.  I was so terrified of people that the thought of speaking in front of the class was too much to consider.  Out of that context, a number of years later God clearly stated within my life that I was to be a spokesman for Him.  My reaction was similar to Gideon’s.  “You’ve got to be kidding!  There is no way that I can speak to people publicly or individually.  People scare me.  It’s impossible, I can’t do it.”  That is when God spoke to me, “I know you can’t do it, but I am with you.  Go in the strength that you have — Me!”  And so I’ve gone.  Hesitantly at first, “testing” God and affirming that He is indeed close at hand.  Slowly learning that life must be lived in complete obedience, even when I don’t understand the plan.  I was a “hidden spokesman”.  I can’t do it, but God continues to do it through me.

May you hear God’s words to you that seem so unexpected and impossible and realize that He is with you.  His closeness allows Him to see you in ways that you cannot see yourself.  As you trust Him to be the strength that you have, He will do what He calls you to.  May you know the closeness of God that both sees and equips you to be what He has created you to be.