Names of God: The Lord is My Peace
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
11 One day an angel from the went to the town of Ophrah and sat down under the big tree that belonged to Joash, a member of the Abiezer clan. Joash's son Gideon was nearby, threshing grain in a shallow pit, where he could not be seen by the Midianites. 12 The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, “The is helping you, and you are a strong warrior.” 13 Gideon answered, “Please don't take this wrong, but if the is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? We've heard how the performed miracles and rescued our ancestors from Egypt. But those things happened long ago. Now the has abandoned us to the Midianites.” 14 Then the himself said, “Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.” 15 Gideon replied, “But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am.” 16 “Gideon,” the answered, “you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianites will be as easy as beating up one man.” 17 Gideon said, “It's hard to believe that I'm actually talking to the . Please do something so I'll know that you really are the . 18 And wait here until I bring you an offering.” “All right, I'll wait,” the answered. 19 Gideon went home and killed a young goat, then started boiling the meat. Next, he opened a big sack of flour and made it into thin bread. When the meat was done, he put it in a basket and poured the broth into a clay cooking pot. He took the meat, the broth, and the bread and placed them under the big tree. 20 God's angel said, “Gideon, put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did as he was told. 21 The angel was holding a walking stick, and he touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick. Flames jumped from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. When Gideon looked, the angel was gone. 22 Gideon realized that he had seen one of the 's angels. “Oh!” he moaned. “Now I'm going to die.” 23 “Calm down!” the told Gideon. “There's nothing to be afraid of. You're not going to die.” 24 Gideon built an altar for worshiping the and called it “The Calms Our Fears.” It still stands there in Ophrah, a town in the territory of the Abiezer clan.
Judges 6:11-24
Memory Verse
Judges 6:24
24 Gideon built an altar for worshiping the and called it “The Calms Our Fears.” It still stands there in Ophrah, a town in the territory of the Abiezer clan.
Can you think of a time when you did not feel like you were worthy enough to do something? Maybe you thought, “Why did they pick me?” or “There's someone else better than me.” If so, then you know exactly how Gideon felt in Judges 6:11-24.
God planned to use Gideon to deliver his people. The Israelites were facing ruthless enemies and cruel treatment. And even though God was planning to use Gideon to deliver his people, Gideon was unsure that he was the right person for the task. “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family” (Judges 6:15).
Gideon asked the angel of the Lord for a sign so he would know without a doubt that he was talking with the Lord. Gideon was nervous and did not have confidence that he would be victorious against the Midianite army. After telling Gideon that he was the one for the job, Gideon understood and accepted his assignment. In the end, Gideon built an altar and called it “Yahweh-Shalom,” which means “The Lord is Peace.”
You may not understand why God would use you to help out someone else. Trust that God knows what he’s doing. He will give you the strength to complete the assignment and the peace to know that you are not alone.
Prayer
God, help me to be sure of your promises to never leave me. Give me the courage to speak out against wrongs in the world around me. Allow me to trust you to receive your peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.Related Resources
Natasha Menifee
Natasha Menifee is an educator, writer and most importantly a child of God. She has taught in public schools for 12 years and holds two master's degrees from Georgetown College in Learning & Behavior Disorders and Teacher Leadership. Natasha also serves as the Christian Education Director at her church. She is the proud mother of two daughters. For more information about her, visit www.natashamenifee.com.