(by Lorie Codispoti)
I’m over four years into this trial now, & though I’ve come a long way, (Praise!) the battle is still very heavy at times.
(Something they don’t tell you when you’re diagnosed with a disease that has no cure is that sometimes the mental strain is as relenting as the pain.)
God’s comfort comes to His people - not in the lifting off of their weight of sorrow or pain - but in strengthening them for victorious endurance. (J.R.Miller)
What if victory is found in the strength to press into & endure the very thing we dread?
Think about strength training. It involves weights & pain (sore muscles). There’s no way to avoid it in order to build strength. Sure, I’d prefer to have the weight of this disease lifted off; who wouldn’t? But, here’s the cool thing: I have a Spotter. And the goal of a spotter isn’t limited to simply providing safety for the lifter.
While preventing injury is part of their job, the resume of an exceptional spotter includes one vital component: emotional support. It's their ability to encourage the discouraged that infuses the lifter with the confidence they need to endure & move forward.
We have a Spotter!
If you are a believer, you have been given an amazing gift - the Holy Spirit. And His spotting ability goes well beyond the confines of a human spotter.
Do you remember what God told Gideon when he was faced with unsurmountable odds?
The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor! (Jud.6:12)
"Mighty man of valor"? Really?
When most of us think of Gideon, this is not the moniker we would assign to him.
Gideon was called by God to save Israel from the Midianites. For a variety of reasons, he knew he did not have what it would take to defeat this formidable foe. He lacked both the strength & the courage he needed to win this victory for his people. But by the time it’s all said & done, Gideon - vastly outnumbered by the enemy - wins the victory. The Midianites end up in such a state of confusion that many turn & kill each other, & the rest run away in the chaos.
One thing that stands out to me is that God made this proclamation over Gideon BEFORE He even gave him the assignment. He sent the Spotter to instill confidence. God’s Spirit would not only help him fulfill his calling, but He proclaimed Gideon to be a “mighty man of valor” when Gideon knew full well he was anything but mighty & courageous.
My wimpy, marshmallow-muscled self is greatly encouraged by this story. And it’s not because Gideon was anything special. (Really, it’s because he wasn’t.) The spotlight shines on the One who is special. God promised that His presence would be with him, but Gideon still had to pick up the weight & move forward in faith in order for God’s strength to manifest through him.
Another thing that speaks to me is where is says that the “Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon…” (6:34). This is God filling Gideon with Himself, much like a hand fills a glove before a lifter approaches the bench. So, I ask you, who is actually doing the heavy lifting? It is God who fills & enables us. Gideon’s enemies were camped in the valley we call Armageddon. He was so vastly outnumbered that without God his little band of warriors would all be wiped out in a single, very short battle.
The Might that emboldened Gideon is the same Might that emboldens us to charge into the battles we face.
Do you know what Gideon did right before he engaged in the battle of a lifetime?
Two things.
First, he worshipped. Lesson to us: worship before you war. The Spirit will fill & empower you to charge fearlessly into battle when you armor-up with praise.
Second, he took on the role of a spotter, encouraging his army & proclaiming the victory that God promised BEFORE they even marched into the war zone.
In our world, victory is secured after the battle. But, in the spiritual world it’s the opposite.
Gideon was a wimp; I’m a wimp.
Gideon was afraid; I’m afraid.
Gideon lacked faith; I lack faith.
Gideon surrendered all of his inadequacies to God & trusted Him for the outcome.
I can do that - and so can you!
What did the glove say to the hand? “I need something outside of myself in order to pick up this weight, press forward, & win this fight.”
The Hand replied: For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory. (Ps.29:11)
With that, the glove proclaimed: “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me. (2Sam.22:40)
The LORD is with us - mighty men & women of valor!
Surrender your weakness & trust His strength. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you & go get the victory. After all, He secured it before you even stepped on the battlefield.
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