WORD FOR THE WEEK

Gideon went in, 

prepared a young goat, 

and from an ephah of flour 

he made bread without yeast. 

Putting the meat in a basket 

and its broth in a pot, 

he brought them out 

and offered them to him under the oak. 

The angel of God said to him, 

"Take the meat and the unleavened bread, 

place them on this rock, 

and pour out the broth." 

And Gideon did so. 

Judges 6:19-20

When the time was right, Gideon had to be willing to bring out the meal and give it to the angel. Prepared gifts cannot serve their purpose if they're kept in hiding. They need to be brought out and presented to be used. 

Gideon probably had a certain expectation after going to all the trouble of preparing such a fine meal for his heavenly visitor. 

But the angel didn't lick his lips and dive into the meal as 

Gideon might have suspected. He (the angel) told Gideon to "take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth."

Yes, the angel told Gideon to release the very thing he'd so painstakingly prepared. To put it down. And pour it out.

Releasing our gifts back to the Lord for Him to do with as He pleases is difficult and humbling - especially since we harbor desires of what we hope He'll do with them once we finally present them. 

The best use of our gifts is seldom what we imagined.

Prepare it.

        Present it.

               Put it down.

                    Pour it out.

~ Taken from Gideon: Your Weakness. God's Strength. Written by Priscilla Shirer, week 4, day 2.