Like A Glove

Photo by Clay Banks

Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. Judges 6:34

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Gideon in Judges 6-8. It starts out with Israel being oppressed by the Midianites. They had done evil before the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of the Midianites. (This was God’s way of bringing them to repentance). They cried out to God to deliver them from this oppression. This is when Gideon enters the scene. God chooses the most unlikely man to deliver Israel from the hand of their enemies. After much convincing, Gideon agrees to lead Israel in battle against the Midianites.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Clothed with God

The spirit of the LORD came on Gideon. The word came on means to “put on” or “to clothe” meaning God doesn’t clothe Gideon with Himself. God clothed Himself with Gideon. What a picture! God put on Gideon like a man puts on a glove. Every part of Gideon was on God. There wasn’t a part of him that wasn’t in contact with the spirit of the Lord.

In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God never came in(to) men, because men had not been redeemed. But there are many instances we are told that God’s Spirit rested mightily on a man.

Because God puts on Gideon, Gideon becomes invisible. Gideon could now lead Israel even when he wasn’t a leader because God was actually the one leading not Gideon. God became the vessel within Gideon; empowering and enabling him to do what he couldn’t do on his own.

God looks for vessels to clothe Himself with so He can do what He wants. God could have gone out and fought the Midianites but He didn’t. He could have led Israel without Gideon but He didn’t. He looked for Gideon to partner with him on earth to accomplish His will.

God is looking for someone who will surrender their life to Him. He is looking for a vessel that will pray and invite Him into situations. He is looking for a mum that will invite Him into her children’s lives. Or a woman that will invite Him into her marriage. He is looking for a man or woman that will invite him into her church or workplace. When God finds a vessel that is willing, He can do what He longs to do on earth.

One with God

This is the picture God paints for us as Believers in the New Testament. If there ever was a picture to show us what it looks like to be one with God, it’s this one.

What happens when God becomes one with a person? God can work in that person’s life unhindered. There are many times God cannot do what He wants through us because of the weakness of our flesh hindering Him. But when we get to a place where we are one with God, He is able to work unhindered. God could work unhindered in Gideon because Gideon was swallowed up in all of God. Even though we see Gideon, in reality, it’s the Holy Spirit within Gideon really at work accomplishing all His pleasure.

Before God can become one with someone there has to be surrender. We don’t see God clothing Himself with Gideon until verse 34. Before this, there is a lot of wrestling within Gideon. Gideon had to come to a place of surrender to allow himself to become a vessel for the Lord. Now, God could have complete way with him.

The reason why God isn’t one with us yet is that we are lacking in surrender. The more we surrender ourselves to the will of God, the more God can clothe us with Himself and use us.

The Impossible becomes possible

God clothed himself with Gideon, to enable Gideon to do what was impossible. Gideon’s first reaction when God called him a mighty warrior was doubt and insecurity. ( Judges 6:12-16) There wasn’t an ounce of faith or courage in Gideon that told him that he could do what God was telling him he could do. But when the spirit came upon him, everything changed. He became a mighty warrior and a leader over Israel almost overnight. The transformation in Gideon is astounding.

Sometimes, we look at people’s lives and see God working mightily not knowing that it is God outworking Himself through them. God has put them on like a glove so to say. We can also be so impressed with men because God is using them not knowing that the only amazing thing they have done is to partner and submit themselves to God. When God has His way with a man, He can do the impossible through them.

Gideon could win a battle not only with a ridiculous number of soldiers (300) but also by ridiculous means. (They didn’t fight in this battle; they only blew trumpets and broke jars on the ground). God did all the fighting for them. All Gideon needed to do was to say yes to God and allow God to have His way in him unhindered. God could do the impossible for Gideon because Gideon surrendered to God.

Filled with God

In the New Covenant, we have the amazing invitation to come and be filled with God. There is no limit to how much of God we can have in our lives. God has made himself available to us. We only have to say yes to him.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

Paul’s exhortation to us is that we should choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Which he compares to being drunk with wine. When a person is drunk we say, “They are under the influence” meaning their actions and words are not entirely their own but rather what is influencing them.

This is the same way we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit until our actions and words are completely influenced by God. When people who know us look at us, they should be able to tell that someone is at work because we are acting and talking differently.

How would your life look like if God put you on like a glove? What would you accomplish for God’s kingdom if you were clothed with God? What impossibilities would become possible in your life if you lived filled with the Holy Spirit?

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