Being Faithful in What Seems Impossible

Scripture:  Judges 6:11-16 -  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.

Gideon was trying to hide from the Midianites while he was threshing wheat.  The Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.”  Gideon lacked faith – as he was wondering if the Lord was really with him.  He needed assurance that the Lord was with them.  He didn’t see any of the wonders/miracles that he had hear about from the past.  They had been brought out of Egypt, but it seemed like the Lord had abandoned them and turned them over to the Midianites.

Have you ever been in what seemed to be an impossible situation?  How did you handle that situation, and what was the outcome?  Did you walk by faith or by sight?  Sometimes the Lord will call us to do things that make us so nervous/afraid.  We have to decide to walk by faith and not by sight.  We will have victory in our assignment and/or the situations we are facing if we obey what the Lord calls us to do.  Our obedience is required. Help me Lord!

Some of the scriptures to help us walk by faith in what seems to be impossible situations are:

• Psalms 92: 2 - It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night,
• Matthew 17:20 –  So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
• Luke 17:5 – And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.
• II Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight.
• Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

While Gideon was fearful, he could only see his circumstance.  He couldn’t see the big picture – how God not only saved them from Egypt, but also for a covenant relationship with God.  The response of the Angel of the Lord was “I am sending you”.  As Moses and we have done, Gideon made several excuses.  Lord please help me not make excuses when I know You are calling me to do something.

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father:  Thank You for the personal relationship we have with You.  Help us to be faithful and not make excuses with what seems to be  impossible circumstances in our lives.  We may not see the big picture, but you surely do.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

(by Marsha Williams)