by Pastor Douglas Brauner

God’s Strength in Human Weakness

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“And the angel of the Lord appeared to [Gideon] and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.’”
Judges 6:12 English Standard Version

As I finished reading 2 Corinthians for my morning devotions, I was once again at a loss as to where to go next. I recognized that it was time to get back into the Old Testament, besides, I needed some work on my Hebrew.

As I pondered, Gideon came to my mind. I’m attracted to Gideon because he’s so human, so scared, so full of himself, and yet God uses him, and that, not by his own strength. How strange it must have been for Gideon when he heard the messenger of Yahweh call him a “mighty man of valor.”

He was hiding in at a winepress from the Midianites.

 ^“And [Gideon] said to him, ‘Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’”
Judges 6:15 (ESV)

Gideon also left out the fact that his father had built and altar to Baal and had erected a Asherah pole, the gods the Midianites themselves worshiped. Talk about being weak. Gideon had a good role model.

It would have been fine for Gideon to continue beating wheat in a winepress. “Don’t bother me, Yahweh, and ask me to do something that I cannot do. I cannot lead your people against the Midianites! Choose someone else!”

“And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.’”
Judges 6:16 (ESV)

“But I will be with you.” Gideon was a mighty man of valor through, and only through, Yahweh. How he saved the people of Israel clearly showed that the power to save was not of Gideon but of God. It is this power that is at work in us today. We are correct in saying that we are weak, yet in our weakness God is strong.

The cross, the greatest instrument of weakness, is God’s greatest weapon of strength.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado