Mighty Man of Valor.

“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 ESV

Judges 6 outlines the story of a young Israelite named Gideon. At this point, the Midianites terrorized the Israelites. They stole their food, took their livestock, and inhabited their land. The Israelites were forced to live in the mountains, in caves and dens to escape their oppressors. The people of Israel cried out to the LORD for deliverance, and He heard their cry.

In verse 11, the Bible says that the angel of the LORD came down to sit under the shade of the tree, and he called out to Gideon. “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” At this moment, Gideon was not behaving like a mighty man of valor. Gideon was in hiding, and he was full of fear of the mass armies of the Midianites. But instead of calling Gideon by his actions, God called him by his identity. Although Gideon’s behaviour was out of alignment with his identity, his identity remained the same. He was to be a mighty man of valor, and he was to lead the Israelites to freedom. The truth is Gideon’s past, and even current actions did not affect his God-given identity.

God has given each of us an identity. An identity that cannot be altered by our actions or by our inactions. However, our identity can only be reached when we align with the Giver of our identity. Without God, we will never fully understand our identity, and we will never fulfill it. We will spend all our time in the winepress, instead of on the battlefield, where we are called to be. Fulfilling our identities brings purpose and joy to our lives – but it is not just about us.

Our identities are much larger than us. Our identities impact more lives than just ours. And others count on us to fulfill our identities. Gideon could never have known that Samson counted on Israel’s deliverance from the Midianites in Judges 6, so he could free them from the Philistines in Judges 13. Gideon could never have known that Ruth and Naomi were counting on him to build a new life for themselves in Israel and add to the genealogy of Jesus in Ruth 4. Gideon could have never known that he would be mentioned in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. And Gideon could have never known that you would be sitting here in 2021 reading about him and being inspired by his story. And yet, here you are. These significant events were each contingent on Gideon fulfilling his identity.

What if someone is depending on you to fulfill your identity? What if someone who is yet to be born or you are yet to meet is counting on you? What if your identity is an integral piece in God’s plan to reach the lost?

Get out of hiding and step into the light! Stand up and fulfill your identity! We are counting on you!

 The LORD is with you mighty men and women of valor!