听到一条新闻消息，然后怀疑这条消息是否值得信赖，这是很自然的。今天的情况和以往一样，尤其是当群体和国家处于压力之下，经常听到相互矛盾的信息时，更是如此。
在橡树下被主的天使接近的基甸，是一个向神呼求、等待帮助的群体的一员。但大多数人也对神不忠（士 6:1-10）。即便如此，神还是来拯救他们。
基甸的百姓需要从邻邦的敌人那里获得解救，这些敌人正在掠夺和毁坏他们的庄稼。基甸为了不被敌人发现，在酒榨里打麦子。这是一个令人绝望的情境，所以当天使一开始说：“主与你同在...... ”时，他退缩是可以理解的。天使必须向基甸保证，神找对了人，也找对了地方。他也尽力让基甸知道，这个来自于神的信息是可靠的。
这个关于基甸在橡树下被呼召出来的愉快故事，使我们注意到，神有时会在普通的生活环境中接近我们。神有权柄呼召我们参与祂国度的工作，有时祂以令人惊讶的方式介入我们的生活。而且，在像基甸这样的情况下，只有当我们同意相信神的计划之后，我们才会得到所需的技能和资源。
主啊，帮助我们在你呼召的时候相信你，相信你会装备我们去做你要我们做的工作。奉耶稣的名，阿们。
士师记 6:11-24
11耶和华的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亚比以谢族人约阿施的橡树下。约阿施的儿子基甸正在酒榨那里打麦子，为要防备米甸人。
12耶和华的使者向基甸显现，对他说：“大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在！”
13基甸说：“主啊！耶和华若与我们同在，我们何至遭遇这一切事呢？我们的列祖不是向我们说，耶和华领我们从埃及上来吗？他那样奇妙的作为在哪里呢？现在他却丢弃我们，将我们交在米甸人手里。”
14耶和华观看基甸，说：“你靠着你这能力，去从米甸人手里拯救以色列人。不是我差遣你去的吗？”
15基甸说：“主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的，我在我父家是至微小的。”
16耶和华对他说：“我与你同在，你就必击打米甸人，如击打一人一样。”
17基甸说：“我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你给我一个证据，使我知道与我说话的就是主。
18求你不要离开这里，等我归回将礼物带来供在你面前。”主说：“我必等你回来。”
19基甸去预备了一只山羊羔，用一伊法细面做了无酵饼，将肉放在筐内，把汤盛在壶中，带到橡树下，献在使者面前。
20神的使者吩咐基甸说：“将肉和无酵饼放在这磐石上，把汤倒出来。”他就这样行了。
21耶和华的使者伸出手内的杖，杖头挨了肉和无酵饼，就有火从磐石中出来，烧尽了肉和无酵饼。耶和华的使者也就不见了。
22基甸见他是耶和华的使者，就说：“哀哉！主耶和华啊，我不好了，因为我觌面看见耶和华的使者。”
23耶和华对他说：“你放心，不要惧怕，你必不致死。”
24于是基甸在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛，起名叫耶和华沙龙。这坛在亚比以谢族的俄弗拉，直到如今。
"The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak . . . where . . . Gideon was threshing wheat. . . ." - Judges 6:11
It's quite natural to hear a message of news and then wonder whether or not the message is trustworthy. This is as true today as it has ever been, especially when communities and nations are under stress and are often hearing messages that contradict each other.
Gideon, who was approached by the angel of the Lord under an oak tree, was part of a community that was crying out to God and waiting for help. But most of the people were also unfaithful to God (Judges 6:1-10). Even so, God came to their rescue anyway.
Gideon's people needed to be delivered from neighboring enemies who were raiding and ruining their crops. Gideon was threshing grain in a winepress so that he wouldn't be seen by the enemy. It was a desperate situation, so it's understandable that he balked when the angel first said, "The LORD is with you. . . ." The angel had to assure Gideon that God had the right person at the right address. And the angel worked with Gideon to show him that this message from God could be trusted.
This delightful story about Gideon being called out from under an oak tree draws our attention to the ways in which God sometimes approaches us in the ordinary circumstances of life. God has the authority to call us to participate in his kingdom work, and sometimes he interrupts us in surprising ways. And, in cases like Gideon's, only after we agree to trust in God's plan do we receive the skills and tools that are needed.
Lord, help us to trust you when you call, and to believe that you will equip us for the work you want us to do. In Jesus, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
