Daily Devotional
Are You Low Enough for God to Use?
“Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!’”
Judges 6:11-12
December 16, 2021
Ponder This
Gideon was on the threshing floor after the Midianites had invaded the land. He was threshing wheat in the back side, in a corner, afraid that he might be seen by the Midianites and that they might come and pounce on him. Suddenly, an angel of Jehovah appeared to him, and the angel addressed him as a “mighty man of valor.”
Now, if there’s anything Gideon was not it was a mighty man of valor. Gideon was a chicken with a capital C. Not only did the angel call Gideon a mighty man of valor; he also told Gideon that the Lord would use him to deliver Israel from Midian.
Gideon responded by reminding the angel that his family was the poorest in Manasseh and that he was the least in his father’s house. What he was saying was this: “Of all the tribes in Israel, Manasseh is the worst. Of all the families in Manasseh, my family is the poorest. Of all the kids in the family, I’m the runt of the litter.” He was saying, “You have gotten to the bottom of the barrel. You can’t use me.” But I believe God was thinking, “You’re just about low enough that I can use you.” From this point, God took a nobody general with a nothing army and defeated the Midianites. As a result, God got the glory.
- Where have you told yourself or God that He can’t use you because of your weakness?
- How does Gideon’s story remind you that God wants to use you because of your weakness?
Practice This
Make a list of ways you regularly feel weak. Ask God to use you in your areas of weakness so He might be glorified by displaying His strength.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
