If God is For Us, Then Why?

And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. (Judges 6:11-16)

Things were tough for Gideon and his people. They were under the oppressive rule of the Midianites, who were cruel tyrants. They practiced “scorched earth” tactics, meaning that when they conquered a land, they also destroyed its ability to grow crops or raise livestock.

In Judges 6:11-16, we see Gideon threshing wheat in secret to survive. While he was hiding from their terror, an angel appeared and called him a mighty man of valour. The angel told him that God was with him, and Gideon did what most people would do when faced with such dire circumstances. He asked, “If God is with us, why are we in such a mess?” The angel didn’t answer his question. He only told him, "Go in this thy might and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites." In other words, stop complaining, listen to God, and take action! God equipped Gideon, and He will equip you; even if the odds are against you, when God is on your side, you cannot fail! 

Practical Application

When faced with a difficult situation, remember to pray and then do what God instructs you to do. Declare, “Favor goes before me and prospers my way.”

Exodus 3:12; Joshua 1:5