It’s time to come out of the dark clouds of tumult and fear and become the mighty warriors God envisioned us becoming.

So, where are we right now? Where are those of us who are in God’s family, the Blood washed, redeemed, filled with his Spirit… where exactly are we right now?

After a year and a half of mixed messages, lies and half-truths from just about everyone who leads us – where are we?

We have been frightened, coerced into behavior we knew wasn’t good for us, but complied because we were willing to suffer for the good of others. We’ve been bullied by people who don’t like us and can’t conceive of obeying God. Where has all that left us?

We’ve been separated by mask issues, vaccine issues, the ‘proof-of-science’ we have chosen to believe. With the mandating of churches being closed down, we’ve been separated from people we need in our lives.

We’ve tried really hard to maintain a semblance of balance in our lives and families, but alas, few of us have handled it gracefully and probably not very Scripturally. And it’s left us afraid, suspicious and ‘counting the enemy!’

Do you know where I feel like many of us are?

We’re in the winepress!

You know… the empty winepress in Judges chapter 6. The place where God commissioned a man named Gideon to go pick a fight with 135,000 trained Mideonite soldiers. It’s a fascinating story worth reading. But I’m intrigued by where God comes to draw Gideon out of himself and into his future.

Gideon is hiding in an empty winepress threshing wheat for his family to eat. Food is scarce because of the ruthlessness of those who rule over them. So, God’s salutation of “Greetings mighty hero. God is with you” gets an immediate “Who me? You’ve got to be kidding!”

Gideon is terrified of life around him. He’s hiding. He feels helpless and hopeless and God chooses to meet him in that specific place. Winepresses were for pressing grapes for wine… not threshing wheat.

Psalm 104:15 says God gives wine to “to gladden the heart of man.” (RSV) Gideon was using that vat for something that would barely sustain him… not gladden his heart. His entire world was upside down and God called him to change that world. In several short chapters Gideon goes from a nobody into a dynamic leader who won a battle against 400 to 1 odds!

Isn’t it time for us to quit being afraid and let God turn us into mighty and valiant warriors. Like Esther (Esther 4:14) God intends to use you for just such a time as this. Quit letting today’s Mideonites control your destiny. Pick up your armor and join the battle.

“Behold, I have given you authority… over all the power of the enemy.” 

 Luke 10:19 KJV