“The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in
Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing
wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD
appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.’” (Judges
6:11-12)
I sat at the table and saw a flash a fear cross her eyes.
Over lunch I asked if a friend wanted to come to Haiti with me, and her response
was, “My initial reaction was I can’t
afford it, even though I would want to go with you. Finances are just too
tight.”
I thought of Gideon. When he first appears in the Bible,
he’s working, but he’s doing it in secret. The Israelites were taken over by
the Midianites for seven years, and they ransacked anything the Israelites
might grow, produce, or create. So Gideon, full of fear, threshes the wheat in
a giant hole where he can’t be seen. An angel stops by and calls him a mighty
warrior. The guy hiding in a hole, a mighty warrior.
Sometimes our fear of those that can take our livelihoods
keep us from being the mighty warriors God intended. The Haitians say, “Si se
Bondye ki voye. Li peya fre ou.” It means, “If it is God who sends you, he’ll
pay your expenses.” Going to Haiti
will change lives, both yours and those you’ll meet.
Having confidence in God means accepting the task at hand.
Gideon doesn’t loose his fear (you can read all about him in Judges 6-7). He
does let God pay for his way, though, and in the end is known as a mighty warrior.
Will my friend come? I’m not sure, but I hope she resolves to be a mighty
warrior. Let that be true of all of us.
by Mollie B.
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