Purpose Study Bible 266: A Mighty Warrior

In Judges 6, we read how wayward Israel was suffering because they had betrayed God. They cried out for help and that's where the story of Gideon begins:

"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior'" (Judges 6:12).

God appeared to Gideon and greeted him with a strange salutation, for Gideon had no history of leadership that we know of or any military background for that matter. Yet God greeting him with the title "mighty warrior." In other words, God saw Gideon differently than Gideon saw himself. Either Gideon didn't understand what God had said or he was in no mood for faith affirmations concerning his identity, for he immediately complained to the Lord about the current situation for him and the people.

The point is that it's important for you to walk in who God sees you to be and not who you think you are. It's also necessary for you to step away from what's on your mind and focus on what's on God's mind. That means you have to put aside family, finances, and the cares of this world in order to hear an accurate word from God as to who you are, what your gifts are, and what your purpose assignment is.

Do you have God's perspective on who you are? Do you want it? If you have it, are you walking in it or like in the parable of the sower, has this happened to you: "The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful."? God wants you to know who you are, but you must cooperate with Him as He shows you, and then you must disengage from what you have been doing so you can embrace your creative purpose.