“Gideon said to Him, ’O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” ‘ “ (Judg 6:13).
God called Gideon before there was any evidence of might and valor within him. God did not wait on the evidence in order to affirm the fact that he was called. His call provided the evidence necessary to face the challenges that awaited him. We have been called to greatness! His call is initially a call to Himself. It is His might and valor working through us when given permission, that will launch us into new challenges and trials leading to victories beyond measure. The question on Gideon’s heart was, “If the Lord is with us, why then have all these things happened to us?” Things happen that cause questions to be raised. Sometimes we may feel abandoned and all alone. These are times when God provides evidence that will take us beyond the level of our own strength. He was a mighty man of valor incognito. God does not merely choose those who have the external qualities of exerting strength. He may choose a man or a woman that has the appearance of a coward. With knees trembling and heart in hand, God calls him or her out of their inhibitions and reluctant demeanor to a level and task that the mightiest would fear to approach. Once Gideon was convinced that he had been called, he tore down the altars of Baal. These sacred altars represented what were most dear but most damaging to the people. Then he defeated both the Midianities and Amalekites. The Lord is with us because He has called us to rise beyond complacency to engaging the enemy on his own turf.