“Go with the strength you have” (10 min.)
Are you one of those people who out of fear misses a good opportunity? For example, by not asking the price of an item that is on sale or that seems to be, we withdraw and suddenly someone else comes forward and gets that offer that we wanted so much. Or maybe because of fear of approaching a person that you like, you do not say the words you want and lose that opportunity of a lifetime.
If fear is responsible for many things that we refrain from doing or for doing, we do it wrong, because we believe that we are not prepared to do something. In the theocratic aspect the same thing happens. There are times when one could carry out a task and refrains from wanting to do it or if we are offered to be a responsibility within the congregation we say no, that we cannot do it out of fear.
However, in this section of Treasures of the Bible, with the title: "Go with the strength you have." We will see a very fearful man, very fearful, however, he had the necessary energy to do something outstanding. It was Gideon. Let's read about the time when he lived as Jehovah's appointed judge.
LET'S READ: Judges 6: 2-6.
And Midian ruled Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hideouts in mountains, caves, and hard-to-reach places. 3 Every time the Israelites sowed, the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the Easterners attacked them. 4 They camped to fight against them and destroyed the crops throughout their territory as far as Gaza, leaving nothing in Israel to eat, not even sheep, bulls or donkeys. 5 Because they went up with their animals and their tents, and they were as numerous as locusts. They and their camels were so many that they could not be counted. They came to the country to destroy it. 6 In the end, Midian left Israel plunged into misery; and the Israelites pleaded with Jehovah to help them.
And to carry out this help, Gideon was used. If we read the biblical account of him in the book of Judges, we will realize that he was not a person who was willing to help out of the blue. Sometimes he had to prepare him little by little to perform tasks that demanded a lot of courage.
And so Jehovah sent an angel to speak to him and told him the words that we find in verse 14 of chapter 6.
LET'S READ: Judges 6:14.
Jehovah turned to him and said: “Go, for with your strength you will save Israel from the hands of Midian. Am I not the one who sent you?
With these words he was giving him encouragement and reminding him that although he had normal strength as a human being and a decision to do things, nevertheless the greatest support would come from Jehovah to do outstanding things. This little example teaches us that when we receive an assignment, don't trust that you have what it takes to carry it out. You need Jehovah's support.
He chooses us to do a job, but we are not 100 percent qualified to do it unless he chooses to support us. No matter what task you have to do, no matter how insignificant, thank Jehovah and ask for his help in doing the best you can. Even though these words were said to Gideon to do things with the strength they had.
LET'S READ: Judges 6:15.
And Gideon replied: “Excuse me, Jehovah, but how am I going to save Israel? See that my clan is the least important in Manasseh and I am the least important in my father's house ”.
This was a humble attitude on Gideon's part. He wasn't thinking that he was the best he could do, he was the youngest of Manasseh and the youngest in his father's house. The attitude that we need when something is assigned to us within the congregation. But these words can also denote that Gideon believed that he depended on his strength to carry out this work.
That is where we must also analyze. It is Jehovah who must and will help. If we allow them to be his instruments to carry out a theocratic work.
That's what Gideon had to do when he requested help to attack the Midianites, who were 135,000 soldiers. 32,000 Israelites became available. That amount was less. But Jehovah told him there are many. He put it to the test and 22,000 left and 10,000 remained. Still, there were too many.
Another test was made to choose the best and in total there were 300 men. From a human point of view, that was suicide. 135,000 Midianites against 300 men. That is, an Israelite would have to fight 450 men. Impossible for that to be a success.
LET'S READ: Judges 7: 19-22.
Gideon and the 100 men who were with him reached the edge of the camp as the second watch of the night began, just after the shift change. And they blew the horns and smashed the vases that they carried in their hands. 20 So the three groups blew the horns and smashed the vases. They held the torches in their left hands, touched the horns on their right, and shouted, "The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon!" 21 The men stood still at their posts around the camp, but the entire enemy army ran out, screaming as they fled. 22 The 300 continued to blow their horns, and Jehovah caused men throughout the camp to attack each other with their swords. The enemy army fled to Bet-Sitá, and until Zererá, until the outskirts of Abel-Mehoá, next to Tabat.
Gideon, just as we need to show that we are willing to follow Jehovah's instructions. How beautiful it is to have Jehovah's support. That beautiful!. Even though we may be fearful, even though we may be terrified to do a job, but we have the strength that prompts us to do Jehovah's will.
Do your best not to use the word when you are given an assignment. Can not. If we have Jehovah's support, we will really achieve everything for his honor and glory.
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