Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out “Oh Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” “It is alright,” the Lord replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” Judges 6: 21-23

In the book of Judges, God raises several leaders for Israel after the death of Joshua, and one of the most interesting judges we learn about is a man named Gideon.

Like Moses, he is initially full of self-doubt and feels he won’t be a good leader because he’s viewed as the weakest link of his family.

But it’s not just himself who he doubts, but God too.

By the time Gideon’s generation comes along, they’re pretty far removed from the miracles that God performed in Egypt.

To them, the stories of Moses seem more like wives’ tales than truth.

So Gideon asks God to show him something supernatural to confirm he’s speaking to the one true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But as soon as he sees the angel of the Lord perform a supernatural feat, he becomes terrified.

And wouldn’t you?

Imagine witnessing a man you’ve never seen before starting a fire out of thin air with no matches or lighter…and then disappearing.

I don’t know about you, but I’d probably have a heart attack if I saw something like that…

Gideon saw with his own eyes just how powerful God was and then became petrified when he realized that some of his ancestors fell dead just for getting too close to God’s presence.

He realized to what extent God could make anything happen, natural or supernatural.

But God reassured Gideon that with all the mighty power He has, He wouldn’t use it to harm him.

And the same holds true for us.

The same powerful God who appeared to Moses, Joshua, and Gideon is the same God who is at work all around us today.

And just like Gideon, He wants us to find peace and assurance in His power.

So we should never worry or be afraid.

God’s power is mightier than we could ever imagine.

And it’s all for our good.

Be blessed,

Alexia