As a mom, one of the things that drives me crazy is when I call one of my kids from another room of the house, but they don’t answer. Most often this happens when I’m in the middle of cooking dinner or have both hands tied up in a task from which I cannot easily walk away. My son is usually in his room lifting weights. My daughter in hers, playing with dolls or reading a book. I say their names loudly…again and again until I feel like I’m screaming, but neither responds.
I wonder if God sometimes feels the same way. Our heavenly Father is always speaking (John 5:17), sometimes loudly, sometimes softly, sometimes through His Word, a song, an art piece, a poem…There are countless ways that He reaches for our attention.
I was recently reading the story of Gideon in the book of Judges and I found myself intrigued by the exchange that took place between Gideon and the Lord. The back and forth exchange began to take on a conversational feel as I read.
In Judges 6:1-6, we see the author describing the predicament that the children of Israel have brought upon themselves. The Midianites are oppressing them by swarming in like locusts and ravishing every farm and field, eventually driving the people to hide in mountain caves. Verse 6 reads, “So the people of Israel were impoverished because of the Midianites, and they cried out to the Eternal One for help.” This is the first instance of communication with the Father in this chapter.
As we move into Judges 6:8-10, we see God respond by sending a prophet to the people. This is the first lesson learned about communication with the Father: when we call, He will answer. The message from the prophet reminds the people of the deliverance that the Lord brought from the Egyptians and the Canaanites and how He instructed the people not to worship the gods of the foreigners who lived in the Promised Land. Verse 10 evokes a somber sentiment when the Eternal says, “And you have not listened to Me.” These verses bring the second lesson of responding to the Father and that is obedience to the Father offers protection. If only the people would have listened and followed the Lord’s command to remain true to Him in their worship, they would not be living in such stark circumstances.
As the story continues, we find Gideon threshing wheat while hidden in a winepress to avoid the watchful eyes of the Midianites. He is visited by a heavenly messenger who first calls him a “mighty warrior,” (verse 12) and then tells him to “Go out with your strength and rescue Israel from the oppression of Midian. Do you understand that I am the one sending you?” (verse 14). Gideon is quite confused by such a statement and responds with, “But, Lord, how…”(verse 15). The Eternal is not thwarted and reassures Gideon in verse 16, “…you will destroy the forces of Gideon as one man.” Here is the third lesson for responding to the Father. The Father is not angered by our questions. Instead, He uses them as an opportunity to bolster our faith and assure us that our own weaknesses will not prevent His promise.
If we fast forward to verse 24, Gideon has finished speaking with the heavenly messenger and he desires to do something to honor the Lord who has graciously brought this message of deliverance. So he builds an altar, a place for continued communion erected to honor Jehovah and thus we see our fourth lesson. Our response to the Father includes worship and honor.
As the story continues to unfold throughout chapters 6 and 7, the Lord speaks several more times to Gideon. First telling him to destroy the altars that have been built for the idols of the land and then giving him instructions for how to defeat the Midianites. At each turn, Gideon responds with worship and/or obedience. At times he asks for additional signs of reassurance to encourage his faith and the Father mercifully grants them.
This passage of Scripture depicts the beautiful pattern of relationship that each of us can have with Abba. Just as Gideon responded to the messenger, the Lord invites us to a pattern of seek, hear, respond; seek, hear, respond; seek, hear, respond. This cycle creates a posture within our hearts that leads our response to be one of worship (perhaps after a question or two) and obedience. An obedience that is based on love and empowered by the acceptance of our Father. The cycle repeats endlessly, but what a beautiful cycle it is.
Abba yearns to live in relationship with us. Yet, relationships require conversation. If one party does all the speaking and the other never replies, the result is a cold lack of intimacy and a distance that requires screaming. (Like when I need my kids to leave their rooms and come to the kitchen). However, when both parties freely offer themselves through conversation, the result is a deep, abiding, unconditional friendship like no other.
Friend, will you seek Him? He said, “Seek and you will find,” (Matthew 7:7). When you find Him, what will your response be? Will you worship? Will you obey? Will you choose to enter this beautiful friendship with the Father?
-Liz Cox