Hope for Today

Mmmmm, something to ponder on! I am who God says I am. Does that ring true to you?

Today, I would like for us to really ponder on this. Who does God say I am? Who do I think or believe I am? Is it in contradiction with God’s word or is it in line with what God’s word says? If it is in contradiction with His word then it means I am believing a lie, isn’t it?

I want to share with you what God showed me many years ago. He spoke to me about Gideon. Judges 6:11 – Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the wine press [instead of the threshing floor] to [hide it and] save it from the Midianites. ¹² And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of valour”.

Why would God say to Gideon he is a mighty man of valour? I mean, valour means to have great courage in the face of danger. Seriously, Gideon is hiding away, very scared, the Medianites are coming!

Here is what was really going on there. The Lord spoke to Gideon and called him, “mighty man of valour.” Why? Well, this is what God saw when He looked at Gideon – inside (his spirit) and not his outside condition. This is what God had deposited in Gideon’s spirit while He was knitting him together in His mother’s womb – to be strong and courageous; to be a man who has great courage in the face of danger! Gideon’s name actually means “he who cuts down”. Gideon just didn’t know it yet; he was not aware of what God had placed inside of him. He didn’t know that God created him to be the one to bring deliverance to the nation and wipe out idolatry.

God had to give him a bit of a nudge by using this title to address him, “might man of valour”. His spirit had to hear it and be reminded of it. Then, Gideon’s soul – his mind – got in the way. He was looking at the circumstances and at how scary the enemy looked and he was overcome by fear. Fear dictated to him that he would not be victorious and that which the Angel was telling him was a lie. Fear made a lot of noise. That is why he first asked for a sign; he was not sure that it was God speaking to him. Fear was still whispering in the back of his mind (keep in mind, in those days Holy Spirit wasn’t indwelling, Jesus hadn’t died yet).

²² When Gideon realized [without any doubt] that He was the Angel of the Lord, he declared, “Oh no, Lord God! For now I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face [and I am doomed]!” ²³ The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not be afraid; you shall not die.” ²⁴ Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.

It was after Gideon had “come to his senses”; realising that God is in his midst; and he has seen the God of peace, face to face; that he went and did what he was instructed to do. Gideon had an encounter with God. All of a sudden that which God had deposited in him kicked in, and he took up the call that God had placed over his life. Later in the chapter, in verse 34, it says, “that the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon” and he blew the trumpet and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. In another translation it says that “Holy Spirit wrapped himself around Gideon” and took charge over him. In the commentaries you will read that Holy Spirit clothed Gideon (like a glove over a hand) with zeal, strength and might. Exactly that which Gideon needed to accomplish his task – Holy Spirit power, not his own power.

If you have ever been scared of doing what God told you to do, remember Gideon and pray that Holy Spirit will wrap himself around you and take charge over you. Do we need to be scared when God has a specific task for us? Do we run away because we think He can’t use us? Maybe because we just don’t believe we’re wired for it. Gideon didn’t take up his calling because he didn’t think he was able; he did not look to the one who enables us.

So who does God say you are? First of all, we are called sons and daughters if we have given our hearts to Him. Do we believe it? Because if we don’t, we need a brainwashing, a reprogramming. It means that we have been bombarded with lies from the enemy and we believed them. Lies where the enemy used people (or ourselves) against us to make us feel unqualified, inadequate, weak, ugly, fat etc. We can not afford to entertain the deception and lies that the enemy throws our way through people or even our own thoughts. What does God say? People do not define us; you do not define yourself. God defines you. You are His workmanship, His Spirit enables you to execute His missions. You just need to be His hands and feet and be available for Him to use.

God has placed his scrolls in our spirits that carry His words and purposes for our lives. A blueprint from heaven with all the information we need to know who we are created to be and what we are supposed to do for His kingdom. Our war is always between our spirit and soul. The soul hooks into that which is seen; all the trouble; all the chaos and pain in the world; all the violence etc. We allow the soul to dictate that we are doomed and then fear takes over. Our spirit on the other hand carries the heart of heaven, our spirit knows where LIGHT is and it wants to follow, but the soul overrides our spirit because we allow it. We need to get the soul in submission to our spirit. This is done by packing ourselves with the word of God and conforming to it and not to the world’s view of things. We do not live by sight but by faith, which is of the kingdom of heaven.

Beloved, are you ready to pick up that which God has called you to be and to recieve from Him who He says you are? Are you willing to reject what fear is dictating to you and walk in Abba Father’s will for you?

Today I want to say to you son and daughter of the Most High God. ARISE SPIRIT OF VALOUR!!! Get up, Your king is waiting for you to take your place and to not be overcome by the enemy. The spirit of the overcomer (Holy Spirit) rests upon you and you have everything you need to be truimphant.

I want to bless your spirit with the word of the Lord for you –

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

John1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Let us pray: Abba Father I bring to You all that I am and all that I am created to be. I repent for running away and laying down the calling and purpose for my life. I have allowed fear to dictate to me who I am. I ask forgiveness and I ask that you will cleanse me with Your blood. I choose today to pick up that which is mine, I pick up my call, I pick up my purpose and I pick up my birthright. I ask that you will cleanse it all with Your blood and pour fresh oil upon it. Holy Spirit please help me when fear wants to override my spirit. Help me to stand and not run away. I ask that You would wrap yourself around me and take charge over me so that I can overcome in Jesus name. Come Lord Jesus come, lead me in Your paths. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen and amen.