SOAP 04/30/2015; Judges 6:12

Today's reading: Judges 6

S) " ¹² The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.'"

Judges 6:12 (NASB)

O) This chapter is dense with study topics. I chose to focus on, what I believe, is the crux of Gideon's whole story, though. The principle at work in this verse is fairly simple on its surface: God sees us (and in fact, everything) differently than we see ourselves (and anything). Certainly it's possible that Gideon had, already at this point in his life, proven himself indeed a valiant warrior. However, the Bible does not make that known, and there is evidence that suggests otherwise. First of all, Gideon was found hiding while threshing wheat inside a wine press, for fear that the Midianites would steal it (v.11). This doesn't suggest that he was, at all, regularly fighting anyone. Later, we see that he hid his deeds by the cover of night, when destroying his dad's idols (v.27), because of his fear. Despite this being who Gideon was when God found him, that is not how God addressed him. He called him "valiant warrior," because his identity was not in his habitual character (for he might have been called "fearful"), and his identity was not in what he had done (for he might have been called "harvester"). Instead, God saw Gideon as who he was made to be. After all, who determines identity? The right to identify does not belong to the creation, but to the creator.

A) Children are wonderful examples of this principle. My younger daughter is currently five years old. Her older siblings have learned how to read and write well, and she is eager to do the same as she nears her kindergarten year. Along the way, she has learned to write letters, and has learned what sounds certain letters make. So, occasionally, she works hard to write out script along with a drawing of some kind. To me, a learned and versed English reader, the letters she has formed and combined do not make intelligible words. In fact, they often do not even make pronounceable sounds. However, if I ask her to interpret her creation, she can often tell me exactly what those letters mean. Now, some might counter that, as her dad, I have a role to teach her how to read and spell English words. That is true, but in these cases, she is not arguing that what she has written is English at all. She is only arguing that what she has written has meaning, which she has defined herself as the creator of the image and letters. This is how it is with God, only there is the added truth of His absolute sovereignty. Who will teach God? Who will counsel Him? As created beings, we all have a broken desire to identify ourselves. This can lead to all kinds of trouble! I cannot fall prey to a self-identification. I must cling to the identity I have in Christ. I must seek only the identity I have been given by my Creator. When I accept that, and reject any other identity (whether projected on me, or assumed by me), then I will begin to fulfill God's given purposes for my life. Then, I will not be tempted to question God's calling (as Gideon did later) based on my failure to understand my true identity.

P) Father, You are perfect in Your knowledge. I can never claim to know myself better than You know me. I am complete unqualified to identify myself. Help me to focus less on perceived identity, and perceived value along with that. Help me to focus only on the identity I have been given in Christ. In Him, I have been made a brother. I have been made a son of God Most High. You have called me into purpose based on that identity. Help me to properly value that identity, regardless of how simple it may seem to me. Help me to see the vast possibility in that identity. Help me to see Your glory in that identity. I never want to limit what You are calling me to do, based on a false pretense of who I am. Give me the faith to believe what You say is true about who I am. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.