Judges 6:12-17
The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, “The Lord is helping you, and you are a strong warrior.”
Gideon answered, “Please don’t take this wrong, but if the Lord is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? We’ve heard how the Lord performed miracles and rescued our ancestors from Egypt. But those things happened long ago. Now the Lord has abandoned us to the Midianites.”
Then the Lord himself said, “Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.” Gideon replied, “But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am.”
“Gideon,” the Lord answered, “you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianites will be as easy as beating up one man.”
Gideon said, “It’s hard to believe that I’m actually talking to the Lord. Please do something so I’ll know that you really are the Lord.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Yesterday, I was informed that Kristina Loveless Davis, one of my former kindergarten students, was killed in a car wreck Sunday evening. Kristina was a 39-year-old mother of two girls (ages 4 and 7). Her sister was injured in the accident, as were her daughters – one of whom has undergone surgery and faces a long recovery. Kristina’s mother reports that little Paige does not understand why her mommy is not visiting her at the hospital. I thought of our little Timothy – now almost four – and wondered how we would explain to him that a terrible thing happened, and Mommy was not ever coming back.
With a backdrop of recent events like Hurricane Sandy, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, the bombing in Boston, Massachusetts, and the explosion in West, Texas, it’s no wonder many of us are asking, “…if the Lord is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened?” We know the answer… most of us know that the LORD really IS the LORD – and that He truly is helping us. But I would be willing to bet that each of us - in our own way and because of our own circumstances – has cried out to God at one time or another and said, “I am not strong enough for this!” And the truth of the matter is that none of us really are strong enough for many of the challenges we face… under our own power. The beauty of our faith is that we don’t have to be!
Remember the angel’s words to Gideon… “The Lord is helping you… and you are a strong warrior.” I believe that God often understands our excuses and weaknesses in these situations. But we have to realize that God expects us to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, to trust His power over our circumstances, and to move forward. God may allow us a momentary pity party… He may listen to our justifications for why we cannot do what He asks or accept His will for our lives. But we dare not linger here! God expects us to operate in faith… to acknowledge His sovereignty… and to proceed under His power and care!
I am as heartbroken as anyone over the inexplicable tragedies that have surrounded us in recent months. I still see Kristina’s bright, smiling, 5-year-old face, and I cannot fathom that her own little daughters will not have her to nurture them as they grow. But I know that God has big plans for each of us… that He is already bringing about blessings and knitting together circumstances that we could never even imagine on our own – much less implement. God is providing each of us with opportunities to serve and to share His message with others… even in the midst of our own trials and uncertainties. Of this, I am 100% certain!
So I will mourn the loss of a little-girl-turned-mother who has left us too soon… as well as the losses of those who have suffered and died in other recent tragedies. But I will not allow these experiences to defeat me – or to diminish my faith in God to give me power and strength far beyond what I have as a mortal being. I will believe that I am actually talking to the LORD… that He is always with me… and that with His help, I am a strong warrior. What about you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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