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Recently, the Lord said to me, "Tell them to be strong – to not only be strong – but to trust that I am there to give the strength that is needed. That strength is not only for this moment but also for battles that are yet to come. Call forth the warrior's mindset; the mindset that knows they have been trained and are ready for battle. It is only with the warrior's perspective that the victory is won. However, give a warning: the warrior doesn't run off alone but listens to the commander. There is a necessity for unity; one may sound the alarm, but many go into the battle."
Conversations with God Lead to Exposure & Change
Immediately, I was reminded of Judges 6. In verse 8, the Lord sent a prophet to talk with the people to give them His word. It was after the prophet had spoken to the people that the Lord sent the angel of the Lord to speak to Gideon.
"Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites." (Judges 6:11)
Here is Gideon, hiding in a winepress to ensure that the grain would not be stolen. Many have said he was in great fear, for the Midianites were reducing the Israelites to starvation, so death was in the air. However, we see that the angel of the Lord came to where Gideon was and just made himself comfortable under the tree. He sat down, relaxed, and had a conversation with Gideon.
Heaven's Sight
"The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, 'Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!'" (Judges 6:12)
When the angel of the Lord looked at Gideon, he didn't see the weakest or the least. That was how Gideon saw himself. He saw from a different perspective and greeted him with "Mighty hero."
The Lord was realigning Gideon's view of himself and calling him to a different mindset. To do what He was called to do, his opinion of himself had to shift to align with God's. This is not pride or lack of humility. Gideon's mindset needed to align with God's even in his view of himself. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
The Lord says: "This is a season where you need to turn an ear to Me and listen to what I see in you and join Me in calling it forth."
The angel of the Lord didn't stop with "mighty hero." Gideon needed to keep listening because there was a promise attached to the name that he was being given. That promise: "The Lord is with you." With where God was calling Gideon, He knew that Gideon needed to grow in his understanding of God's presence and power.
The Lord says, "I have not called you to go in alone any more than I called Gideon to go in alone. I make you the same promise. I am with you. I am with you. I AM with you. However, to step into that, you have to step up to a new level. You cannot stay in the winepress when I am calling you to the battlefield."
Receive the Outpouring
Even as we work through this, we want to respond with all the reasons why we cannot go into battle. We struggle to pull off the old labels and identities. It can hurt as we pull them off; we can feel raw and vulnerable. Just as God took Gideon through a process to own his identity, He is willing to take us through a process. However, to begin that process, Gideon had to step up out of the winepress, out from his labels, his insecurity, and into his destiny. His first steps were shaky, but he began to move.
God says, "It is time for the silent majority climb out of the winepress. It is time for the silent majority to climb out of the winepress with a shout of victory." The Lord promises that He is with us.
There is an outpouring of courage at this moment. Immediately I see people with umbrellas over their heads trying to stay "dry." However, the Lord says, "I am pouring out strength and courage for this moment. Remove the covering and look to the heavens. It is from the heavenly Kingdom where your help comes from. Am I not the Lord God Almighty?" (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
The Lord said, "Tell them to be strong – to not only be strong, but to trust that I am there to give the strength that is needed. That strength is not only for this moment but also for battles that are yet to come. Call forth the warrior's mindset. That mindset that knows they have been trained and are ready for battle. It is only with the warrior's perspective that the victory is won."
Prayer and Decree
Heavenly Father, we confess and repent for hiding in our personal winepress and ask Your forgiveness. Thank You that You love us so much that You come to where we are at and enter into conversation. We choose today to fully engage in that conversation, without hesitation, without argument. We receive Your identity, Your courage, and Your strength. We remove the covering over our heads and look to the heavens. We receive the rain of Heaven for that is where our help comes from.
• We decree and declare that we are people of Your strength and courage.
• We decree and declare that we will not be kept silent.
• We decree and declare that as we open our mouths, You will give us the words.
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Ruth Hendrickson
Ruth Hendrickson Ministries
Email: ruthhendrickson.org@gmail.com
Website: www.ruthhendrickson.org
Ruth Hendrickson is a conference speaker, ministry trainer, board certified counselor, and served on the pastoral staff at a Spirit-filled United Methodist Church for over 13 years. In addition she is a course facilitator for Patricia King Institute and an ordained minister with the American Presbyterian Church. Ruth has extensive experience in the development, training, implementation and oversight of Emotional Healing Ministry Teams, Recovery Ministries, Prophetic Ministry, Prayer Ministries and Women's Ministry. She is passionate about training, equipping, and releasing individuals to walk in wholeness, healing (both physical and emotional) and freedom. Ruth's understanding of various denominations allows her to easily cross denominational boundary lines. Ruth and her husband Mark live in reside in Stockton, NJ.
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