From “I Can’t” to “He Can” | Judges 6:13-16

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Our text today is Judges 6:13–16.

And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” — Judges 6:13-16

Gideon’s first response to God’s call is a flood of doubts and questions:

If God is with us, why has life gone so wrong?
Where are the miracles we’ve heard about?
How can I save Israel? I’m the weakest person from the weakest clan.
God doesn’t argue his résumé. He doesn’t explain why Gideon is the perfect choice. He simply says: “Do not I send you?… I will be with you.”

Gideon says, “I can’t.” God answers, “I can.”

We all have moments when God’s calling collides with our sense of inadequacy. We see the size of the task and the smallness of our ability. Fear magnifies our weakness until the only thing we can say is, “I can’t.”

But God isn’t asking if you can — he’s declaring that He can. His presence is the decisive factor in every calling.

When you believe “I can’t,” you stay in hiding. When you believe “He can,” you step out in obedience. God chooses people who feel unqualified so that His strength, not theirs, gets the glory.

The shift from “I can’t” to “He can” doesn’t happen when you suddenly feel strong. It happens when you decide his ability matters more than your inadequacy. That’s the moment you can walk into something bigger than yourself — because he’s already there.

ASK THIS:
Where in your life are you stuck, saying “I can’t”?
How might believing “He can” change the way you see that situation?
What past moments prove God’s strength outweighed your weakness?
How can you keep God’s presence at the front of your mind this week?
DO THIS:
Write “I can’t… but He can” on a sticky note and put it somewhere you’ll see it all day. Let it reframe how you view the challenges in front of you.

PRAY THIS:
Lord, I admit my weakness, but I trust Your strength. Move me from “I can’t” to “He can,” and help me step into what You’ve called me to with confidence in You. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
"Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]."