Under the Oak Tree

“Gideon said to Him, ‘O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all of this happened to us? And where are all His miracles…?’ Then the LORD turned to him and said, ‘Have I not sent you?’ So he said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save…?’ And the LORD said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat…’” Judges 6:13-16

I can’t even begin to imagine this scene and interaction between Gideon and the appearance of a visitor. We must adjust our lens to focus in on what was happening in this interaction. Gideon was fearfully hiding doing the job he was called to do every day. In his mundane job responsibilities, he suddenly became aware that someone was with him under the oak tree. We have no evidence that Gideon knew this visitor. Then the man spoke and told him that the LORD was with him. Our story has just gotten more interesting. We have a man who was hiding out alone doing his day to day job awaiting the enemy to attack. We have another person who suddenly appeared sitting under the oak tree with a proclamation that the LORD hadn’t left him. Then a frustrated and scared Gideon snapped back with a retort that you and I have probably also said in the midst of our circumstances…Why has all of this happened to us and where is God?

That is the age-old question that mankind has been asking since the beginning of time. I find it so interesting that the messenger first revealed Himself to Gideon as an average person (‘O my lord’), but then the LORD revealed Himself in absolute certainty of who He was (‘O my Lord’). We don’t have to imagine how his heart must have sunk after his frustrated response of God’s neglect of his situation.

So many times, we also fail to recognize God in our circumstances. We become angry, frustrated and bitter that God hasn’t saved us from our circumstances... unemployment separation…loneliness…childlessness. We tell others that God is with them, but secretly we voice the same frustrations that Gideon voiced so many years ago in that lonely place. The truth of yesterday is still the truth of today in each person’s life and in their situation. God IS with us in the messy heartbreaks of life, and He does come with a plan to use us as instruments in the chaos. If we take the time to be still and to look for Him, He will reveal Himself to us, encourage us and remind us that He is still there. Only in His presence can we truly have confidence in defeating our present circumstances. There is not one moment that He leaves our side. He kneels beside us as we pray for relief…He places His compassion in those around us to encourage us in our pain…He sees the outcome and knows how to lead us down the narrow path of victory. He has sent each of us to witness through our suffering and testify to His grace. So, don’t overlook the man under the oak tree…it just might be the Creator Himself.