Judges 6:11-31 (NAPSV)
Now the messenger of the LORD came and sat down,
watching
who was carrying out his tasks in fear of those who didn't like him.
After a while, the messenger of the LORD made himself known and said to him, "The
LORD is with you, powerful citizen and valuable man!"
Flabbergasted,
replied, "If the God is with
me, why isn't my life going according to my plan? Where are all the blessings I hear
about, like the one about being freed from sin and doubts? God, the LORD, has abandoned me
and allowed my whole life to be totally screwed up."
Then the messenger turned to him and said,
"Go in your strength, and you shall solve the problems that overwhelm you, your
family, your community and your country. Have I not sent you to do so?"
responded to the messenger, "How can
I be of help? I'm a nobody, my dad's a nobody and everyone in my family is a nobody."
The messenger said to him, "Surely God will
be with you, and you shall overcome all your problems as if they were one small jigsaw
puzzle."
said, "If you are a messenger from
God, then you have the patience to understand that I have a hard time accepting who you
say you are, and what you say. I need to be convinced that this is true."
The messenger then allowed
to test him. When the messenger not only passed the test, but gave
further insight into his own private life,
was overwhelmed. Then the messenger left.
realized that he has been visited by a messenger
from God, an Angel of the LORD. So
said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen
the Angel of the LORD face to face. Boy am I in trouble now!"
Then
could hear God personally telling him,
"Relax, do not fear, you shall not die as a result of this visit." So
praised God in his heart, before getting back to what he had been doing, thinking hard
about the whole matter. Later that night, God told
to stop worshipping the latest
fads and the newest fashionable beliefs that his friends, neighbors and co-workers had
adopted. God told him to go back to the roots of what he had been raised with as a child.
Those that truly loved
supported him in his new decision, and were there for him.
