Made For More
When God looks at you, He sees greatness. You have a kingdom identity just waiting to be unlocked by listening to His voice and learning who He made you to be.
"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.” “Pardon me, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me...Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him....Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.”
Judges 6:1, 6-18, 25-31, 33-40
How do you see yourself? How would you describe yourself to someone who does not know you? What are your strengths and weaknesses? At the core of this passage is one of the most important discovery any person can make. What is the discovery? The revelation of your kingdom identity. How God sees you and who He made you to be. Have you ever asked God what name He calls you? Have you ever asked Him what names you have picked up from the world that are not true?
Consider for a moment how Gideon saw himself. His own words were described himself as the least in my family and that family was within the weakest tribe. When Gideon looked in the mirror, he saw weakness. He saw someone who belonged in a hole in a floor threshing wheat all alone. What do you see when you look in the mirror? We are called to learn to live in the true, not in the false. The truth is God calls Gideon mighty warrior and that is what he becomes when he listens to the voice of truth. What could you become if you listened to God?
When was the last time you spent time with a young child? If you listen to child describe themself, you might think they are a superhero. Children can have such lofty views of their abilities and they are often not burdened by the voices that limit their imaginations. God calls you his dearly loved child. Jesus says you should become like children for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Can you think back to when you were young enough to believe that you could do anything?
Are you comfortable questioning God? Do you realize that Jesus is the one who said ask, seek, and knock? There can be a distorted perception that God does not like questions. God not only likes questions, He invites us to a place of honesty. Do you see how He does not shy away from the signs that Gideon needs to believe fully? Think about the scriptures in the New Testament where Jesus met Thomas in his place of doubting and held out his hands to help Thomas believe. God is big enough to handle your biggest doubt and will tenderly answer your most tentatively asked requests for a sign. He wants you to believe and know that you are meant to become great.
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you."
Psalms 67:1-7
God is gracious, He does bless us, and His face is shining on us. Every day whether we know it or not. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Our perceptions of God can shift and change, but the truth about who God is does not change. How has God been blessing you? Where are you asking Him to shine more brightly that you could see His glory and experience His presence in a new way?
David says make your ways and your salvation known. David has experienced the grace, blessing, and light of God changing him from a lowly shepherd to a mighty king. His prayer is that all people would know who God is and who they are to Him. Can you imagine what our world would be like if everyone knew Jesus and learned to walk in their true kingdom identity? There would be no war, no poverty, no fear, no division, no knee that didn't bow. Truth tells us that His ways are redemption, restoration, and resurrection. He has a plan to help each person experience redemption knowing they were bought at a price. He wants each person to be fully restored to the place where they live with childlike wonder. He wants each person to live with the resurrection power of Christ guiding them in their kingdom identity.
“The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”
Proverbs 13:2, 9-10, 14, 18, 24
Think about what Solomon says in this passage in relation to Gideon. Solomon says the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life turning a person from the snares of death. He says that discipline helps turn people to the right path. If you think about where Gideon was and what he was doing, was he really living? More than likely, Gideon hated threshing wheat and being stuck in a dead end job. Somewhere along the line in each of our lives we can learn this horrible habit of settling for less than the best that God has for us. If you evaluate your life, are there any areas that are dead? Do you have any dreams that have died?
When Solomon uses the word life, he means a lot more than just having a pulse. Kingdom life, life connected with God that is empowered by the spirit, is a life of meaning with a hope that moves us. Kingdom life is full of the fruits of the spirit and should produce peace, joy, gentleness, patience, self-control, faithfulness, kindness and love. Earlier you were asked to describe yourself and your life. Did you use all these descriptors? Do you have a clear vision for your life based on who God made you to be? Settling for anything less than the fullness of the identity God has given you is in a way death.
“Woe to those who plan iniquity...They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them...Do not my words do good to the one whose ways are upright? Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle. I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.”
Micah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13
Do you ever ask wonder why people do evil? Why do people covet, steal, and do wrong? Jesus said the great commands are to love God and love your neighbors. Coveting, lying, and stealing all cause relational harm. These actions are done without considering the cost to others or to the covenant relationship with God. The bible says that you will reap what you sow and the truth is there will always be a day of accountability when we do wrong.
If we look at the evil actions in light of God's truth that He is the Provider and our Creator then are we not stealing from, lying to, and not trusting God when we do evil? The amazing thing about grace is that even when we have fallen short and done the worst deeds, Jesus breaks open the gate to right relationship God and restoration of our identities. He is the King that goes before both the righteous and unrighteous. God's goal in calling out injustice and evil is to help turn people towards the path that leads them to eternal life.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
James 1:2-6, 12, 16-17, 19-24, 27
Think of how the passage in James parallels the experience of Gideon. Gideon went through hard times and difficult trials not only in the hard work he had to do each day, but in dealing with the emotional weight of not feeling good enough about who he was. James says consider your trials and tests joy. What a crazy statement! Except when you view your tests as a prelude to a testimony about what God is going to do in and through you then you can begin to see that God does use all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.
All the hours that Gideon spent turning the winepress on the threshing floor gave him the discipline, strength, and endurance he needed to step up and serve God. He might not have had the initial internal belief nor seen himself as a mighty warrior, but God had been preparing him to do great things. How much more enthusiasm would you have each day if you looked at all you were going through and believed God was going to use it to change someone else's life?
The truth is God is preparing you to do great things. God will go with you and provide for all you need each day. He wants you to learn to put your gifts into practice. James says do not just be a hearer, but be a doer of the word. What would have happened if Gideon had not responded to the call to be a mighty warrior? He chose to put the call into practice by tearing down false idols and sound a trumpet. He chose to let go of the false ideas he had about himself as a weakling and live in the truth that he was made for a purpose. You are too.
The good news is God will meet you where you are. He met Gideon on the threshing floor and He gave him all the signs he needed to take the next step of faith. Jesus will do the same thing for you. Ask for a sign, spend time in listening prayer, then take a step of faith wherever you feel led. You have a kingdom name, a kingdom calling, and God is calling you by name. You were made for more. More than just getting through the day or working for the weekend. It is time to step into the life you were made to live as you do what He says to do.