~By: Silvana Place~
The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Judges 6:12
These words echoed in my mind this morning as I read them in my devotion time. Words that were spoken by the angel of the Lord to Gideon were words that my mother would’ve said and has said to me various times in my life, “The Lord is with you.”
There were times I doubted that I was capable of completing a task that the Lord had placed before me. Often times I would share with my mom, who, if you knew her entire story, was a brave woman of faith with all that she overcame. There were times when she could’ve thrown in the towel, but instead she rose up to the occasion because she knew that she had God on her side. Much of my mom’s testimony was of a life that fully relied on God coming through. She was unshakable in her faith. Perhaps faith was a gift that God had given her, or maybe it was due to life lessons where God had actually stepped in miraculously and shown Himself as Jehovah Jireh, her Provider.
One of the best memories I have was taking my mom with me to a women’s retreat that I had been asked to speak at. Honestly, I felt less than qualified. The church had blessed me with a beautiful room, and my mom got to share that with me. She prayed over me and for me. She really was my best cheerleader. She helped me in praying over women that evening. I’ll never forget that three hour ride home as we talked about the faithfulness of God and all He had done during that altar prayer time. It was precious, and I thank God for it.️
Because of my Mom’s testimony and her faith, she was always able to give such sound advice in situations of uncertainty and doubt. God always used her to show me that a very simple shift, a mere change in perspective, changed everything. I needed to be reminded that the Lord was with me and of who Christ said that I was. He had already placed within me all I needed to accomplish the task set before me. I just needed to trust Him.
I want to be that for my children more than anything. I want them to see that my full dependence is on Jesus. I want them to know that everything God calls them to do they are capable of doing through Him, and that through Him we are made strong. Through His power we are changed, and through our testimonies our faith has the ability to grow and speak life into others.
Friends, the enemy of your soul never wants you to realize who you are in Christ or the power of the Holy Spirit in you as a child of God. Satan doesn’t want you to see yourself as a valiant warrior capable of tearing down strongholds. He doesn’t want you to know you are more than an overcomer. No, he wants you defeated and powerless. BUT GOD says otherwise. You are a mighty warrior for Christ. It is not your strength, but His working through you. You just have to be reminded of that!
There is a purpose for each of our lives, a calling if you will, to proclaim the hope, the strength, and the power that is found in Jesus! After all, our Father is the King of Kings, and He is calling us, His children, chosen, a royal priesthood, heirs of God!
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
