Judges 6:11-24 KJV
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, 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, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Talk of war does not sound like a God of peace. Talk of war and destruction of the enemy sounds like a God of war, especially to the enemy. However this story is about Gideon on the side of the fenceline where they are at peace with God and not the enemies on the other side. What I am talking about there no fence in this story, it about being on the side God is on. There only one story where God sends a lying spirit to the enemy through Micaiah a prophet to the King Jehoshaphat.(I King 22) A lying prophet does not sound like a God of peace but a God of confusion. How does one make sense of a God of peace at a time of war. It the individual peace with God. If you are at peace with God you know if you on his team, the enemy of God going to be defeated. It matters not if your team is the enemy, if you at peace with God, God is going to deliver you. If you are standing where in the enemy camp, God going to deliver you, you have to ask how because your in uniform on the enemy side and not going to go in opposition of fighting with you leader. If you loose the war and you on the loosing side can you survive even obeying the general of the army. Ask those that come out of the military if they alive on the loosing side and they will tell you of the things they saw in war they hope to never see again. Is God a war or a God of peace? Christ came in peace to man. How can God be a God of war and peace. Has His love ran out?

War is the thing no one truly understands even when they go to fight. 911 it was clear why we went to war, but war is not always clear. The reason for endless fighting seem like a waste of time. Can negotiation be achieved. The truth is this batle is not ours in this story, this is something bigger then Israel and even Gideon. This is not a tug of war match in the school yard this is something spiritual no one fully grasp. There war where God not on either side. There is war and defeat by man that has nothing to do with God. Soldiers pray and ask for God's leadership but is God's leadership in all wars that answer is no. Sometimes war is because of power and money alone and that has nothing to do with God. There times war comes because of disagreement but is that disagreement of God, maybe not. These wars in the Old Testament seem to be more about defeating the enemies of God, and the laws of God. When God sets up a standard for society, we have to ask is it good for unbelievers as well as believers and most might say if I have to bow the answer is no, why because there be some that will never bow to God. We live in a land where the constituion declared one nation under God but does it act as if they under the authority of God. No it under the authority of lawlessness at times even into the political realm. How do we make sense of a God of peace. A God of love in times of war and disagreement. How does one make sense of governmental rule of religious faith that acts only in their own power to control a people. Was Israel in control of itself, or was it in controlled by God? The answer is simple the fall and rise of Israel speaks something very clear, they had free will in their society, even down to having a king who mandidate worship, and one's that care nothing about the worship of God through history.

Man often destroys the image and picture of God to a point people have to reconcil if God is truly a God of love and peace. God only destroys man that is so corrupt in the world, that it beyond not his power to save, but man has chosen with his free will the opposite of God. Man has chosen to not desire God. God sends them to what they desire a place without God. If we see the enemy we need to ask if they are in the oppositon can God still reach into the heart and change it. There must be a willingness for change, a willness to desire the good things of God over their own corruption. God is destroying the enemies of Israel there more going on then meets the eye. There were people like Rahab the harlot that came out of Jericho after saving and protecting the spies that had come from Israel people. We have to ask if God's mercy is on the people working and living in the enemies camp, then God's ability to rescue the believer in the enemy territory a safe and secure. If God's people in his land go against his people in the military of army that has traitors within that obey the government they fight for, they to can find deliverance. God protects his people, or takes them home to be with him.

What side are you on, the side of God of peace, the God of victory, the God of love, the God of hope, or the devil who ways of pure corruption of the ways of God. Israel had turn their back on God when they went into exile, there was remnant. God protect that remnant. In the story of Gideon an angel came and told him he would go to battle against the Midianites and win. Gideon problem was he was the poor man and least of his father's house. God had called up Gideon to go to war, but Gideon was unsure if this one spoke to him was from God. The angel told him to prepare a sacrifice and when it was brought it was consumed by the power of God. When Gideon saw it happen, he knew God had allowed him to see the face of angel. And now he is in fear he will die. But God said "peace unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die". God's word spoke the protection given to Gideon. And Gideon call God the Lord of peace(Jehovahshalom). Individual peace is different then peace to the world? God desires peace with all mankind. Peace that passes all our understanding. Yet the talk of war was about the enemy of God and God's people, that Gideon had been called to defeat. War and peace does not sound like they go together unless the enemy is waving the white flag. However there is a peace between the individual, a person of God, a person of faith, that can have peace with God. Peace with God and going to war. War with the enemy but not with God. That where we want to be fighting on the Lord's side not on the enemy's side, but if found in military wrong side it does not mean you can not be at peace with God. Jeremiah was at war with the enemy, and yet prophesied the defeat of Jerusalem. He had peace with God and found himself outside of bondage living in the enemies camp.

What is peace with God knowing he not going to strick you dead because you in his presence. He not going to cast you into hell because you are before him. Jesus is our intercessor to God, he is our prince of peace between God and us. When we stand before the throne of God upon our death, he will either say will done good and faithful servant or say depart from me, I never knew you. Gideon knew God knew him by name that day. Gideon knew he was at peace with God despite he called him to war. Gideon knew that he would win, because God was in favor of the battle being waged. He knew from a personal level not just because some prophet spoke to him.

Do we know upon belief in Jesus that he changed our heart? Do we know when we pray we spoken to God? Do we know when we kneel at the altar God hears us. If we know not then it time to receive Christ as Lord and believe with your heart and ask him to help with all unbelief. Gideon as resting on evidence God provide him. Gideon was called to battle by God himself.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you know each of your children by name. That you called them first to salvation which is to the peace of Christ. You asked us to receive the peace of Christ as our salvation. You ask us to recieve him as our Lord and Savior. You have called us to peace, even has we are going to war against your enemies. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Jeremiah 39:11-18 KJV
11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.
Babylon's princes;
14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.
15 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
16 Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.
17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.