Do you have peace? Not just quiet, but are you free from distress or anxiety? Are you not sure where to turn to with your questions, concerns and worry?
Well, if that is you tonight…go read Judges 6. I will give you an overview:
The Israelites had not been acting right and the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. Now, these people were awful. The Israelites were having to hide in caves and mountains because whenever they weren’t hiding, the Midianites would come and swarm them and destroy whatever they were doing. They ravaged their crops and destroyed all that the Israelites and their animals had to eat leaving them poverty-stricken and oppressed. The Israelites cried out to God because of this and the Lord sent a prophet to them. The prophet basically told them they didn’t obey and didn’t listen to God. The Angel of the Lord came and sat under an oak tree that belonged to Joash. Joash had a son named Gideon that was hiding threshing wheat from a wine press so the Midianites didn’t see him. Now, if you know anything about threshing wheat, it is not done in a wine press. Gideon was in fear of the Midianites and was doing what he wasn’t supposed to do because of fear. God didn’t intend for it to be this way…because the Angel of the Lord tells Gideon, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Remember that, we will come back here in a minute. 😉
Now, Gideon starts questioning God and asking him why everything has happened and when the Lord brought them out Egypt, He allowed them to be handed over to Midian! The Lord tell Gideon to go in strength because he has the power to deliver Israel for Midianites and that He will be with him. Gideon tells him that He wants a sign that it is the Lord speaking to him, so he asks Him to stay until his return and goes to get a young goat and some unleavened bread. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them back to the oak tree. The Angel of the Lord told Gideon to the take the meat and unleavened bread, put it on a stone and pour broth on it. When he did, the Angel of the Lord held out His staff and touched the meat and bread with the tip of it and fire came up and consumed it all. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from Gideon’s sight. Now afterwards, Gideon realized that he has just seen the Angel of the Lord face to face and the Lord says to him..”Peace to you. Don’t be afraid, for you will not die.” Here Gideon built and altar and called it Yahweh Shalom (The Lord our Peace). Afterward, this gives Gideon the courage to tear down his father’s altar to Baal. There more good nuggets in there after all of this that you can read through to the end of the chapter, but I am going to stop here.
Are you in a state of worry or cowering in fear about something in your life right now? Maybe you are like Gideon and don’t realize that you are a mighty warrior. Often times when we are in a state of fear, we end up doing things we normally wouldn’t do…just like Gideon, threshing wheat in a wine press. Fear doesn’t allow us to see ourselves as God sees us.
Also in times of fear, we find ourselves questioning God and asking, “Where are You?” Or, “Where have you been?” He doesn’t move His position…it is us who are constantly shifting and questioning His sovereignty. We are much like the Israelites…we cry out to God in the dark and scary times looking for His peace…but it was there all along, we just chose not to see it! Where there is fear, there can be no faith. Fear is like a spiritual blindfold that keeps us from seeing the peace that God has given us through the Holy Spirit.
Gideon didn’t fully realize who He was speaking to before he went and got that unleavened bread and young goat, but when the power of the Lord was displayed in front of him and he seen the Angel of the Lord face to face, something happened! He gained courage. He thought he would surely die, but I believe he gained faith in God, because he went to destroy the altar of Baal. The very presence of the peace of God in your life will allow you to eliminate the worries of this world from your mind.
Stop hiding in fear. Stop questioning. You are a mighty warrior and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your heart and your mind as you live in Christ Jesus. Jehovah Shalom is not concerned with circumstances…His peace is dependent upon your trust in Him. Tear down the altars of fear in your life and built up an altar to the Lord of Peace…your Jehovah Shalom.
