May 2025

Dear Church, 

God qualifies the called! 

“Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace.” – Judges 6:24

Pastor Mark Batterson once said, “God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called.” In the book of Judges, we meet Gideon, a man who saw himself as "the least." Yet God saw in him what many overlook in themselves: a mighty warrior, chosen to deliver Israel from oppression. 

During Gideon’s time, the Midianites were relentless in their attacks. They ravaged the land, destroyed the crops, and left no suste nance, neither sheep nor oxen. So severe was the oppression that Gideon resorted to threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding his action in fear of the Midianites. While hiding and working in fear, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and addressed him as a “mighty man of valor.” Though timid and uncertain, Gideon was being called into something greater. When Gideon realized he had encountered the Lord, everything changed. His first response was not to gather an army or strategize for battle, but to worship. He built an altar to the Lord and called it “The Lord is Peace” (Yahweh Shalom). In a time of national chaos and personal fear, this act of worship was profound. The name did not signify the absence of trouble, but rather the presence of God. It was a declaration of faith amid fear.

After this act of worshipful obedience, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, equipping him to lead Israel to a miraculous victory. Gideon’s story speaks powerfully to us today. In our own seasons of fear or uncertainty, are we making space for God’s voice and presence? In the busyness of life, do we still ourselves to hear His call? Are we ready to respond, “Here I am, Lord”? We may not feel qualified by the world’s standards for the calling God has placed on us, but He is not looking for credentials. He is looking for hearts willing to say yes. Like Gideon, we may feel weak or unprepared, but God still calls! He still equips! He still empowers! 

Let us build altars of worship in our own lives, places where we recognize His presence and respond with faith.

God Bless,
Amutha