And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
Judges 6:12-13
Gideon lived in a time when the people of Israel had largely turned away from God. Many of them were worshiping the same idols as the Canaanites among whom they lived. In judgment God allowed an enemy to triumph in battle over Israel, and as a result they were living in desperation. Even the people who still believed God’s promises were not seeing Him in their daily lives. Gideon did not have confidence in God’s presence despite the fact that he was talking to “the angel of the LORD” which was an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Himself. Despite all that God had done in the past, there was a disconnect. Gideon pointed out that the stories of God’s miracles in the past had been spoken of, but the people of his generation had not seen God at work.
One of the most important things parents and grandparents, and especially fathers can do is live in such a way that God is obviously and observably at work in their lives. It’s good to tell children and grandchildren what God used to do in the past. Those blessings should never be forgotten or overlooked. But it is even better to show them what He is doing today. If those who come after us only hear about a God who works miracles and meets needs, their faith will be weak if it exists at all. Young or old, this should be the prayer of every father: “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come” (Psalm 71:18).
