Winepress Anyone?

Judges 6:1-22

Where is the nearest winepress?  Like of old, I would like to hide from the craziness of this world right now.  Gideon and his people had been taken over by the enemy who wanted to strip them of everything that sustained life. Gideon who describes himself as the least of all men was afraid to even thresh wheat out in the open so he was hiding in the winepress. I am there right now, I would like to hide.  I scroll Facebook to see the latest news if you can call it news because lies are rampant and opinions abound.  I sit in disbelief as I watch the lawlessness and brutality in tiny clips.  I’m amazed at the outright hostility spouted against good and the glowing reverence toward evil.  The lack of wisdom is astounding in those who claim to be our leaders.  But as you read on about our friend Gideon we see that the angel of the Lord came to him in his hiding place and told him that he was to lead his people out of bondage.  So what does that mean for me, today as I grab that proverbial blanket to place over my head?  We find in the account of Gideon, that the angel greeted him as “Mighty warrior” and tells him that the Lord is with him.  That little phrase cheers me today.  The Lord is with me even in this tumultuous time in history.  So why would I cower in the winepress?  I believe that the Lord is saying to us, His mighty warriors, to proclaim his word even more.  It is said that the threshing of wheat is done out in the open so as the farmer throws the crop into the air, the breeze separates the wheat from the tares.  The wheat kernels fall to the floor as food while the tares are blown away.  In the open, the truth is saved while the untruth is flung to the wind.  Let us climb out of the shadow of the winepress into the open air of the truth of the gospel of Christ crucified.  Arise, mighty warrior, we serve a glorious God who is with us even in the darkness of the winepress.