And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return” (Judges 6:18b NIV).
It is surprising to note God’s choices. He chose many who were not confident about themselves. He chose those who were afraid to step out. But he made leaders of such stuff as these.
Even today he continues to do so. You may be one like Gideon. Afraid of the enemy and hiding from them. Trying to do your work quietly.
But then God calls you. You are not sure about it. You try to tell God about the difficulty of the situation. But God tells you of the job ahead. You look at your weakness.
God sees that small measure of strength in you and says, “That much is good enough for the task ahead.” You tell God about your smallness. God counters it by telling you, “I will be with you.” He promises victory.
But then you are not still sure about God’s favor in your life. You want to do something that makes you think will earn his favor. Remember, this is your problem, not God’s.
He has called you. What more assurance do you need? But God is patient. He waited for Gideon to bring his offering.
The question to you is, “Are you keeping God waiting?” The Lord had said, “I will wait until you return.” Gideon did return.
But where are you? Are you still wondering about how God is going to help you do the work ahead? Are you delaying to make that commitment to God? Whatever it be that is delaying you, remember that God is waiting for you!
Now the fact is that Gideon had not realized that it was the Lord Himself who was speaking to him. For during that time of oppression from the enemies the people of Israel including Gideon had thought that God had abandoned them completely.
But God in His mercy was willing to step into their lives with His mighty deliverance once again even though the Israelites had forsaken him.
So also God is getting involved in your life once again. Only when Gideon came back and offered his offerings did he come to realize that He had met with the angel of the Lord.
Similarly, only if you return will your eyes be opened to see the Lord. Do not keep your God waiting!
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