Judges 6:12
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”

One of the most misunderstood teachings that is propagated among many prosperity preachers is that if God is with you, everything will turn out for your good. According to the verse above, this thought is totally false. The angel of the LORD told Gideon, “The LORD is with thee…” Gideon’s response to the angel is found in the next verse when he says, “Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of…” The angel’s declaration and Gideon’s reply makes it very clear that everything isn’t going to be good for the believer whom the LORD is with.

There is no question that every believer needs the LORD’s presence in their life. Of course, the believer always has the LORD’s presence in their life because God promises to never leave or forsake the believer; however, when the LORD is with the believer means that the LORD is working for them and helping them to accomplish something greater than themselves. There are a couple of thoughts I want to point out as to what the LORD being with you doesn’t mean.

First, it doesn’t mean that everything will turn out for your good. You will notice that even though the LORD was with Gideon, he still asked why has everything “befallen us?” The LORD being with the believer doesn’t mean that you will never face hardships. My friend, many of the people in the Scriptures whom the LORD was with saw hardships. Hardships and trials are a part of life. The LORD’s presence doesn’t mean that you won’t see hard times. The LORD’s presence doesn’t mean that everything will turn out for your good.

Second, it doesn’t mean you will constantly see the miraculous. Gideon asked, “…where be all his miracles…?” Certainly, miracles are often a result of the LORD’s presence, but His presence with you doesn’t mean that He will perform the miraculous for your every situation.

What the LORD being with you does mean is that you will not go through the bad times alone. This is what should encourage the believer. The LORD was with Gideon through the bad times just like He will be with you through your bad times. You need the LORD’s presence, not so much so that the bad times will dissipate, but that His presence will help you through those times. Knowing the LORD is with you in the bad times is what keeps you going through them.

Moreover, the LORD being with you means that God is with you in times of famine. When everything dries up, the LORD will be with you. The LORD being with you means that He can provide for you through the times of famine. You are going to have dry times in the Christian walk, but don’t let those dry seasons make you believe that the LORD is not with you. God is with you in the bad times as well as the good times.

God’s counsel to Gideon was to “Go in this thy might…” In other words, the LORD being with you means you should go as far as your strength will take you, and you will find the LORD will step in when your strength fails. My friend, if you never give all of your strength, there is no need for God’s strength to step in. If you will do what you can in your strength, you will find that when the LORD is with you He will step in when your strength fails.

Author: Allen Domelle