The LORD is with you, mighty warrior

The context of this quote from Judges 6:12, is of the angel of the Lord coming to Gideon while he was thrashing wheat in the winepress. The Midianites had wrought havoc with Israel, destroying the wheat, and slaughtering the livestock etc., etc. And here was Gideon threshing wheat in the winepress for fear of the Midianites. Now the point of threshing wheat, it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, so that the wind can blow it away. And that does not work in a winepress!

The angel of the Lord tells Gideon that The Lord is with him, calls him “mighty warrior,” and tells him that he will save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Gideon’s response is essentially the claim that he is unqualified, that his clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and that he the least in his father’s house. In other words find somebody else!

Many people I know fear that the Lord is all about calling us out, you know pointing out our faults and condemning us. The truth however, is that the Lord wants to call us up. He sees Gideon’s potential, and He calls him with His help and strength to fulfill it. In the same way, He calls Christians "His saints." This is not necessarily because we are saint like, but He calls us up into our calling, part of which is to be saintly.

Father, thank You that You give us salvation as a gift, and after we have received it You call us saints. And then, having given us the assurance of your acceptance, You call us up into the high calling with which You have called us. We need Your help, but with Your help we like Gideon, can rise to the fullness of our potential. And I know that this is what will give life meaning, and bring satisfaction and fullness of life. Help us Lord to respond to Your amazing call. And we will give You all the honour, all the glory and all the praise in Jesus Name Amen