Facing Life's Battles, Why Hide?

INSPIRE Devotionals With Emmanuel Afiawari Thursday, May 29, 2025 Topic: FACING LIFE'S BATTLES, WHY HIDE? Memory Verse: “And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” - 1 Samuel 17:29 NKJV Bible Text:  Judges 6:11‭-‬12 NKJV 11. Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” INSPIRATION: King Solomon's assertion that, "The battle is not to the strong..." (Eccl. 9:11), rightly captures the reality of our text in our present times. Physical strength no longer delivers as much as soft skills and being technologically savvy does. And this emergent reality must put us to a check that forces us to reinvent ourselves to stay relevant in our times. You must daily ask yourself, "What's my relevancy quotient?" But to hit home run with the topic, why do strong men of war hide when real life's battles rage on? Like David would say, "Is there not a cause?" Gideon, although, seen by God as a mighty man of valour, was hiding from the enemy to thresh wheat in the winepress; Israel's bravest warriors were hiding from the threat of giant Goliath. Both Gideon and Isreal's strong warriors hid because there was a cause! We fail to see our greatest potentials or maximise our best opportunities when we do not have the true identity of our self-worth. There's a cause that blinds us away from this reality. Even after the angelic introduction of Gideon as a man of valour, he still doubted and queried why things weren't going on fine with him. Self-doubt can cost you life's battles. Unpreparedness is no less disadvantageous. Not knowing what's at stake is a dangerous position for any warrior. Life is a threatre of war. Prepare! TODAY'S TAKE HOME: Does the 'cause' justify your reasons for underachieving? Why would you rather hide instead of facing your battles head on? Interrogate this critically. Something would erupt within you that would release you to your destiny. PRAYER: O Lord, awaken me to the reality of my purpose. Help me to walk into my destiny slaying the giants that want to hinder me, in Jesus name.