How to Find Strength in Your Walk With God

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

Judges 6:12

Living out God’s calling on our life is rarely easy. Sometimes in our lifelong walk with our Father, He invites us down paths that seem terrifying, and we doubt our ability to press on. But here’s the truth: we don’t walk through our own strength, or our own ability, or our history, or our personality. We do it because God is at work in and through us. It’s about the strength of His hand. The power of His Spirit. Not ours.

Take Gideon for example.

Let me set the stage: The Midianites have been attacking God’s people, stealing all their food and destroying their land. Israel calls out to Yahweh, and He sends a prophet to tell the people that this oppression is happening because they betrayed Him by serving other gods. Imagine the people’s despair! The whole situation seems hopeless.

Then the scripture zooms in on this lone man hiding in a winepress, trying to beat out wheat in secret so he doesn’t get attacked like everyone else. 

The angel of God appears to him and says the most unlikely thing:

¹² “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor… ¹⁴ Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do I not send you?”

Judges 6:12;14

The Lord is with him? Mighty man of valor? These statements shock Gideon. He humbly questions both God’s faithfulness and his own value:

¹³ “Please my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?... ¹⁵ how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manassah, and I am the least of my father’s house.”

Judges 6:13;15

Gideon is riddled with fear and uncertainty. Midian has been oppressing his people for seven years at this point, and it feels like Yahweh has abandoned them for good. But God responds to Gideon’s anxiety with the most comforting promise: “I will be with you.” 

When we’re looking at the mountain in front of us, trying to figure out how we’ll ever reach the top, we must remember that He is all we need. 

God is with Gideon throughout his journey. He protects Gideon as he destroys the idols’ altars in his hometown (Judges 6:25-32). He is patient when Gideon starts to feel afraid and asks for a sign that God really is telling him the truth (Judges 6:36-40). He comforts Gideon as the Midianite army, “as the sand on the seashore in abundance," settles in the valley ahead of him (Judges 7:12). Look at what God says:

⁹ “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. ¹⁰ But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. ¹¹ And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.”

Judges 7:9–11

God gives Gideon a sign through the dream of a Midianite soldier, and immediately Gideon worships. Gideon calls his men to battle, and God is already there, turning the enemy army against itself. Yahweh miraculously defeats the massive Midianite army through Gideon and the mere 300 men who were with him.

How beautiful it is that God shows His faithfulness to us again and again! Our God was with Gideon, protecting him, strengthening him, and our God is with you.

Yahweh is with you, O mighty woman of valor. 

You can follow Him with confidence in everything He calls you to. Maybe that means sharing your faith with a friend who doesn’t know Him, or leading a Bible study in your home, or overcoming a sin struggle, or loving someone you find difficult to love.

Not by your own strength. By His. 

Maybe you’ve been praying for something for years, and it's starting to feel like God has abandoned you. Maybe the brave thing He’s calling you to is to keep praying. To keep trusting in Him. Friend, I promise you: He’s closer than you think. 

God stepped onto the winepress floor and called Gideon to a better, fuller life with Himself.

What is He calling you to?