THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER -- FALL 2025

          It is a fearful thing when the Mighty God calls us out. Whether He calls us to a specific task or to a lifetime of ministry, our first reaction is to focus on our own shortcomings or on the difficulty of the task instead of on the greatness of the One who is calling. But if the Lord sees fit to call, we shouldn’t fear the journey nor the outcome. He already knows the end and already has a plan for our preparation and preservation. In short, God does not call those that are qualified; He qualifies those that are called. 

           For example, God called Moses to a seemingly impossible task–to risk his life by returning to Egypt and demanding that the mighty Pharaoh release the Israelites from slavery. Moses responded with doubt in  Exodus 3:11: “...Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  

           Moses immediately put the focus on himself and his lack of ability. In Exodus 4:10 he says “ ...O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Moses thought that ministry required the ability to speak well. He nearly turned away from God’s will over a stutter. But God said “Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? [12] Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exodus 4:11-12). The Lord refocused the conversation on Himself, the One with the power.

          In the midst of Moses’ excuses, the Lord asked him a question. “What is that in thine hand?” (Exodus 4:2) And Moses answered, “A rod.” It was not just a rod; it was the rod. It was the same rod that would bring the ten plagues against the Egyptians and break Pharoah’s pride. It was the same rod that would part the Red Sea so the Israelites could walk over on dry land and the Egyptian army could drown. It was the same rod that would strike the rock in the desert and bring forth water. It was the same rod that would bring victory in the battle against the Amalekites. It was the rod of Moses. When God called this weak and fearful man, that rod was already in his hand. It was not the rod of God; it was the rod of Moses. The Lord took what Moses already had and made it enough to win the victory! While Moses was putting the focus on what he did not have, God was putting the focus on what he did have and on His own ability to make it enough. And Moses went on to accomplish great and powerful things for the kingdom of God, not because he was mighty but because he submitted to a Mighty God. 

          And the Lord is continually asking each one of us, “What is that in thine hand?” However little it is, and however flawed it is, we serve a God that can multiply it and strengthen it and make it enough to accomplish miraculous things. 

         

          We also see this in the story of Gideon whom the LORD called to another seemingly impossible task, to deliver Israel from the Midianites. It was a very dark time for this young man and for his family and for all of Israel. He was only a teenager, and he spent his days threshing wheat in secret and hiding it so the enemy could not steal it. This daily struggle to survive was all he had ever known—and he had already resigned himself to it. 

          Imagine Gideon’s surprise when an angel appeared to him, calling him a “mighty man of valor” who would deliver Israel from their enemies! Mighty man!? Who, me!? And he replied to the angel in Judges 6:13, “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.” This young man was so discouraged that when his long awaited moment of victory came, with an angel standing before him, all he could say was “where are the miracles?”! 

           Gideon was overwhelmed by his calling and began to make excuses. He put the focus on his own shortcomings and on the hopelessness of the situation rather than on the mighty power of God. He replied, “wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house” (Judges 6:15). Gideon thought that ministry required money and status and family background. 

          But through all of Gideon’s doubt, the LORD was consistent in his calling, telling him to “Go in this thy might”. The word this appears to refer to the weaknesses that he had just listed. Gideon thought that being weak and poor disqualified him from ministry, but the Lord was actually searching for someone unable to take credit for the miracles that were about to take place. As Gideon would later learn, weaknesses can bring great glory to God. He often uses those who cannot take credit for his work as “ ...[He] will not give [His] glory to another...” (Isaiah 42:8).

           In his weakness, Gideon would have to depend on the Lord for his strength, and that is what makes a man mighty. Gideon did not even complain when God took active steps to make him weaker and to keep him in this weak state. The Lord took his army of 30,000 men and told him to send 29, 700 of them home. Judges 7:2 states “And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.” In order to save them and give them victory over their enemies, the Lord needed to make the army as weak as Gideon was. 

          Gideon came against the Midianites with only 300 soldiers, and he dealt a crushing blow. Not with arrows. Not with swords. Not with horses and chariots. Instead, he used candles and pitchers. These few men stood on the outskirts of the camp and, with candles in their hands, they began to yell at the Midianites and break their pitchers. The yelling, the breaking glass, and the candles made it appear as though a mighty army was invading. In their panic, the Midianites did all of the work, fighting and killing each other. The Israelites had never even drawn a sword. Gideon was a hero! 

          He went on to serve as a judge during his lifetime, protecting and leading God’s people. Gideon was a mighty man indeed–not because he had great strength, but because he had entrusted his weaknesses to a Mighty God. This is what we mean when we quote the words of Zahaziel the prophet “The battle is not yours but God’s” (II Chronicles 20:15). This is what the LORD meant when He told Zurubbabel “not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord" (Zechariah 4:6).

          God also called Jeremiah to a seemingly impossible task–to bring a message of harsh judgement on his own people. But Jeremiah, overwhelmed by the task and the situation, began to put the focus on his own shortcomings rather than on the powerful God who was calling him. “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child” (Jeremiah 1:6). Jeremiah thought that he was too young to make a difference among God’s people. But God replied, “Say not I am a child. For you shall go to all to whom I send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces” (v. 7-8). It was not because of age and wisdom but rather because of Jeremiah’s youth and innocence that he did not resist the will of God but embraced the bitter task that God had given him. 

          When Israel was deeply entrenched in idolatry and hypocrisy, the LORD sent young Jeremiah as the sole voice of righteousness. Though it was a lonely calling, Jeremiah submitted to God and embraced it. So passionate was his preaching that he became known as 'the weeping prophet.' Through his words, many turned from idolatry and made their worship a personal experience with God. 

          Jeremiah was indeed a mighty man in the kingdom of God, not because he had great strength and wisdom but because he entrusted his youth and weakness to the Lord. Instead of focusing on what Jeremiah did not have, the Lord used what he already had in his hand and turned it into miracles. 

 

          Many others who were called acknowledged their weaknesses but still responded with enthusiasm and submission to the will of God. Isaiah recognized his shortcomings when he said “Woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). However, when the Lord said “Whom shall I send?”, he immediately answered, “Here I am Lord, send me” (Isaiah 6:8).  When Amos was called to prophesy, his immediate reaction was resistance: “...I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit” (Amos 7:14). In time, he submitted and delivered God’s words of judgment to the northern kingdom of Israel. 

 

          From Genesis to Revelation, we see people who questioned the Lord and yet chose to obey anyway. When Mary was called to be the mother of Christ, she questioned “...how shall this be…?” (Luke 1:34). but submitted anyway saying “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (v. 38). The result was a miracle. Likewise, in Peter’s first encounter with Jesus, just before his calling, the Lord told him to lower his nets after a night of failure. Peter questioned, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:” but he submitted anyway: “nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). The result was a miracle. And when the Lord told Ananias to help Saul of Tarsus who had been “blinded by the light”, Ananias questioned Him. “Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem” (Acts 9:13). But despite his fear, Ananias “went his way”, leading “Brother Saul” to salvation and speaking kindly to him (v. 17). Little did he know, his obedience would be the first step in the salvation and the powerful ministry of the Apostle Paul. 

 

          The bottom line is this, that with God, all things are possible. He can do whatever He wants to do, without us. However, He chooses to include us in His plan. Ministry is not a matter of qualifications: it is not a matter of age, intelligence, money, status, or speaking ability. It is all about submitting to God. He can take what is already in your hand and make it enough. He can accomplish his will through us, if we submit. He can do it in spite of our fear, our doubt, our embarrassing stutter, our shameful family background, or our lack of ability. It is likely because of our shortcomings that the Lord has chosen us. It is vital that the glory and the focus stay on the Lord. Paul sets an example of this when he deflects praise in saying “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (I Corinthians 3:6).

 

          So...what is God calling you to do? If you are waiting to be good at it, you don’t need to be good at it. Focus on submitting to God and doing your best in faith. If God has called, He will qualify and direct you. Your ability to minister lies in your ability to submit to God. This is the might of a mighty man. So, what is in your hand?