Prayer: Father, give us the words to speak over our students, and give us listening ears to hear what You are speaking over us. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Scripture: The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:11-12 NIV
In the ancient world, threshing wheat was typically done on a high plateau where abundant wind blows away the chaff and the valuable kernel falls to the ground to be gathered. But high plateaus are also highly visible.
This is why we find Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress—essentially, a pit in the ground. Hiding from the invading Midianites is not exactly Gideon’s most courageous moment. Yet, when the angel of the Lord appears, he calls Gideon a “mighty warrior.” Up to this point in the narrative, there was no reason to think this label applied. In fact, Gideon’s response, which could be paraphrased, “I am pretty much the weakest man in the country,” doesn’t fill us with confidence either.
But the Lord sees what we do not. By trusting and obeying, Gideon became the mighty warrior that the Lord saw in him, and as a result, was God’s chosen vessel to deliver Israel.
What the Lord spoke over Gideon, I’ll bet you already speak over your students. You are aware of their abilities before they are. You call out their mind for math, their eloquent writing or speaking, their creative artistry, musical talent, athletic gifts, or ability to lead or organize. You encourage their compassion and notice when they exhibit character. Each time you notice and speak these things over them, you call out part of their God-given purpose and partner with God to shape them into who He is making them to be. This is part of our holy and high calling as educators.
But the Lord is also speaking over you. What is He saying? We know from scripture that He calls you the apple of His eye (Ps. 17:8), that you are not condemned (Rom. 8:1) but adopted as a son or daughter (Eph. 1:5), and He delights in you (Ps. 147:11). That’s a good start!
Yet His still, small voice may have more to say. As you pray, command the voice of the enemy to be silent, quiet your own thoughts, and ask the Lord what He is speaking over you. He is calling you.
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Copyright by David Schmus. To connect with the author, email david@christianeducators.org
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