Our Strength

Our Sunday school lesson today was based on Judges 6. In verses 11-18, Gideon is speaking with God. The Israelites are being oppressed by the Midianites, so much so that Gideon is threshing beating out wheat in a wine press so that the Midianites wouldn't see the floating chaff and know where he was.

Gideon asks God why the Lord has "cast them off." Marv's point (who taught Sunday school today) was that this was a question many of us ask. Why do bad things happen to good people? How do we know when God is with us?

He said many interesting things -- the whole lesson was great -- but one of them was that the curriculum stated that Gideon's strength was in his questions. God tells him to go this might and deliver Israel. This might, according to the material, was his willingness to question.

So often some of us are afraid to question God. It all reminded me of Job, who was desperate to question God. How do we know that is OK to do? I think Job is a great example of that. God answers him. He doesn't really answer his questions, but he comes forth and encounters Job. And he rewards Job.

Our strength is in the fact that we are willing to converse with God -- to build a relationship with God. Our strength is in the knowledge that God is with us.