This week’s blog is written by my wife, Pam.  She had an amusing incident last week which provides the perfect challenge to us, as we live in these uncertain days.  The fruit of the Spirit series will continue next week.

For several months I’ve been reading slowly through the Old Testament chapter by chapter and taking time to sit and think about each passage.  Books that are often thought of as dry and boring (think, Leviticus, Numbers) have come alive to me with reminders of God’s faithfulness & power in the middle of His people’s unfaithfulness & doubt.  

This past week I read Judges 6 about Gideon.  Each time I’ve read this story I’ve been amazed that at their first meeting, the angel of the LORD greeted Gideon with the statement, “The LORD is with you Mighty Warrior!”  At this point Gideon had done NOTHING to earn that title. He was a simple farmer from a simple family trying to survive the horrors of the Midianite invasions. However, God saw Gideon completely differently than Gideon saw himself. Gideon doubted who he was and, at this point, also wondered who God was. “If the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?”, was Gideon’s question directly to the angel of the LORD.

Wanting to share Judges 6:12  with Steve to encourage him, I voice texted to him- “The LORD is with you Mighty Warrior!”  As I re-read the text, I realized that the phone had auto-corrected the sentence to, “The Lord is with you Mighty Worrier!”  I chuckled at my mistake, corrected the word to “warrior” and then hit send.  However, I couldn’t get that contrast out of my mind and throughout the morning I reflected on the difference between being a “Mighty Warrior” or a “Mighty Worrier.”  

“Mighty Warrior” was a title given by God.  He could address Gideon as Mighty Warrior because God was with him (v. 12 & 34), God had chosen him and was sending him (v.14), and God was the one fighting the battle (v.16).  It wasn’t a title dependent on Gideon. It was a title completely dependent on God.

“Mighty Worrier” is a title we earn ourselves.  Even in a normal week there is no shortage of things we seem to worry about, but when you add in the COVID-19 virus, it seems like we can find something to worry about every hour.  “What will happen if I get sick? If my kids get sick? If an elderly relative gets sick?   What if I lose my job? If the grocery stores shut down, will we have enough food and toilet paper?   What in the world am I going to do with my kids during these weeks stuck at home? How are the kids going to make up all the education they are missing?  How long is all this social distancing going to continue?  What if, what if, what if….”  Some of these are very real concerns, not just foolish thoughts.  But Scripture has the answer to our worries. It’s not that we never have concerning thoughts, but that we take our anxiety and cares and cast them on HIM (1 Peter 5:7).  Through prayer we tell him our fears like the psalmist did and remind ourselves that our Shepherd is walking with us through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23).  We fix our eyes on Jesus, so we don’t grow weary and lose heart (Galatians 6:9).  

Today we have a choice…we can be a Mighty Worrier or we can be a Mighty Warrior.  Let’s remember these truths that God used to remind Gideon: 

• God is with me. I am NEVER alone, even if I have to be isolated from others. (Hebrews 13:5)
• God is the one sending me.  Everything I face today will be part of his perfect plan and He will give me the grace and strength I need. (John 15:16)
• God is helping me fight my battle— against worry, against coronavirus, against the temptation to give up or to give in .  “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)” He invites me to trust Him, take up the Word of God as my sword, and put on the whole armor of God so that I can stand against the attacks of the enemy. (Eph. 6)
• God is the one who gives the victory.  (Psalm 44:3; I Cor. 15:57)

The LORD is with you Mighty Warrior.  Peace! Do not be afraid.