Dear West Family

Just a very brief one today as I am way behind on sermon prep and I am really looking forward to the text this Sunday (Hebrews 2:11-16) and want to do my best to do a good job with it. I would value your prayers.

I have learned as a parent that the words “I will be with you” are extremely helpful ones to use when your kids are facing something they fear. They have been particularly helpful in the life of our daughter, and so when she is trying to do something that she hasn’t been able to do before, she will ask, “will you be with me?” It has helped in the swimming pool, on a bicycle, on the kickball field and even in the dentist’s office, though for that last mentioned assignment she really prefers the brave presence of her mother instead of her embarrassingly terrified mess of a father. Dentists are scary y’all.

The presence of someone with you, who is stronger than you, really does help you to face things that you fear.
Doing it alone feels really daunting.

This notion is recorded on a cosmic scale for us in the story of the call of Gideon in the early parts of the book of Judges. An angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, a man who is living in fear of the Midianites, and when the angel approaches Gideon he is in the process of fearfully hiding some wheat from his enemies. The angel calls Gideon “man of valor” and although I am not sure of the tone of the sense of humor that angels happen to possess, I imagine that even a heavenly messenger struggles to say it with a straight face. Gideon himself shirks the title straight away and is full of excuses for why he can’t possibly be the sort of man that God needs for the scary task ahead.

But … the Midianites are way stronger than us.

And … it doesn’t feel like God has been on our side against them so far.

And … I am from the weakest clan.

And … I am the weakest dude in that weakest clan. 

God answers Him with six words that change absolutely everything.

None of this changes Gideon’s strength or ability, but it does remind him of who is in his company and that makes all the difference.

Friends, I am not sure what you are facing, and I am sure you are painfully aware of all of your own shortcomings which render you unable to overcome it. How about you focus less on your ability and more on who you have for company?

“But I will be with you …”

If the God of the universe will be with you (and He will) then you can’t really lose.

The song this week is inspired by the upcoming sermon. The sermon will talk about Jesus as our brother which got me thinking about brothers, which got me thinking about John Steinbeck, which got me thinking about this song. 

Timshel - Mumford and Sons (excellent live performance in HD)

See you Sunday,
Ross