The Lord is With You
Things are a mess.
They’re like the headphones that came with your iPhone - the ones that keep getting wrapped up into a twisted ball.
Like it or not, you may have more in common with the knotted mess.
How did that happen?
How can the chords get so messed up in such a short amount of time? I’ll admit. I have Airpods. I am, however, the designated unraveler in our family regarding the earbud wires.
Often, I ask while unraveling, “How does this happen?”
Are you there, saint?
You can’t quite put your finger on how this has happened. You see the result - the tangled mess. But you can’t fathom what you’ve gotten into.
Questions abound.
Are you to blame?
Is this from your mistakes?
Are the schemes of others at play?
Did the mistakes of those around you lead to the mess?
Or is it another result of living in a fallen world?
You’re trying to make sense of it.
“The Lord is with you,
O valiant warrior.”
You might respond, “Say what?”
Hang with me for a minute. This phrase was spoken in an unlikely circumstance in the Old Testament. The oppression of an enemy was disorienting. Things were worse than a tangled mess. A man named Gideon cowered, hunkered down, trying to provide and make a little bread. While in hiding, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said those staggering words.
Let’s start with the last part, “O valiant warrior.”
Nothing in this situation showed that Gideon was a valiant warrior. The Lord wasn’t calling Gideon something based on his current situation. Instead, God gave him his future identity, that of a valiant warrior. God doesn’t relate to Gideon based on what he is or where he is, but on what God will make him.
How does God make Gideon, the one hiding, into a valiant warrior? It is through the reality of that phrase, “The Lord is with you.” I bet it didn’t feel like the Lord was with Gideon at that moment. In the tangled-up mess of that moment, it didn’t seem like that was a present reality. Later, I encourage you to dig into Judges 6 to discover what else happens in this narrative.
For now, come up from this story for a minute. Let’s trace this thread of truth throughout God’s Word.
God reorients his children with his presence. Let’s look at a few spots:
Abraham - “I will be your shield.” Genesis 15:1
Moses - “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
Joshua - “Be strong and courageous; I am with you” Joshua 1:7-9
David - “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:8
Daniel - The Lord was with Daniel in the fire. He shut the mouths of the lion in the den.
Jesus to his disciples - “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Paul - “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me… …So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” 2 Timothy 4:17
God went to great lengths for you to experience His presence. Jesus’ death and resurrection make us confident that He is with us through His Spirit. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us.
Saint, if the Lord reminded these men, we would do well to pay attention to the same in our tangled-up mess moments.
May you be encouraged.
Take a deep breath.
Go outside if you can and take a walk.
Take some of these verses, and rehearse them back to the Lord.
Find a song that reminds you of this powerful truth. I’ve included one below that rehearses Psalm 46.
God reorients his children with his presence.
Despite the circumstance, focus on what is true, saint - The Lord is with you.
