JU6-19: Why We Should Never Worry About HOW We’re Going To Accomplish A Mission From God

Adonai turned to him and said, ‘Go in this strength of yours and save Isra’el from the hands of Midyan. Haven’t I sent you?’  But Gideon answered him, ‘Forgive me, my Lord, but with what am I to save Israel? Why, my family is the poorest in M’nasheh, and I’m the youngest person in my father’s house!’ Adonai said to him, ‘Because I will be with you, you will strike down Midyan as easily as if they were just one man.'”-Judges 6:14-16

From verse 14, we encounter I think one of the most inspiring pieces in all of Scripture.

The Lord commissions Gideon as a SHOPHET (a judge) and tells him he will rescue Gideon from the hands of Midian.

Along with that declaration, the Lord makes it clear that because of His presence Gideon will possess the power to do what must be done.

However, what happens next is kind of a replay of the exchange Moses had with God at the Burning Bush.

Gideon is skeptical.

He tells God there’s no way he can save Israel.

Because he comes from one of the poorest families in his tribe (Manasseh).

And because he’s the youngest son in his household.

Did you catch these excuses Gideon is throwing at the Lord?

He doesn’t have enough cash to do what’s being asked of him.

And in the political scheme of things, he possesses zero societal status to even be considered a deliverer for Israel.

Keep in mind Gideon wasn’t being a wimp here.

Gideon was simply telling the Lord he just can’t see how this assignment he’s been given is humanly possible given the circumstances.

And you know what?

Gideon was right.

There’s no way what God was asking him was humanly possible.

The Lord’s answer to Gideon was simply “I will be with you”.

The implication was that should be more than enough homie.

It was to be all on God.

The Lord’s power would overtake Gideon and guarantee his success on the battlefield.

Gideon wasn’t expected to rely on His own fleshly power at all.

In fact, in this upcoming battle, the Lord is telling Gideon He will make Him so powerful his strength would be equal to the entire Midianite army.

WOW!

The takeaway here is pretty clear folks.

And we can see this same pattern in many other instances in Scripture.

When the Lord gives you an assignment, don’t worry about the HOWS.

How will I be able to do this when I don’t have enough money?

How will I be able to do this when I have no connections?

How will I able to do this when I’m too old, too young, too short…or too whatever?

You get my point, right?

Because whenever you get sucked up worrying about the horrible how’s, you’re almost always looking at things through a limited human perspective and NOT God’s perspective.

The 10 spies out of the 12 who decided to chicken out and not attack the land were too focused on the HOWS.

How in the world are we going to take over the land when they’re these humongous giants inhabiting it?

They were so focused on the negative that they missed the big picture.

And the big picture is God.

Never forget the most influential man in all of history was a humble carpenter from Nazareth who possessed little in the way of material possessions or political power.

Yet he became so powerful, human history is measured by his coming and going.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“I know what it is to be in want,
and I know what it is to have more than enough
— in everything and in every way
I have learned the secret of being full
and being hungry, of having abundance
and being in need.
I can do all things through him
who gives me power.“
-Philippians 4:12-13