The Gideon Encounter

One of my favorite examples of identity shift is when God meets Gideon in a wine press. Gideon is hiding from the Midianites trying to make some bread in a place where you crush grapes. This guy was doing the best he could under the circumstances. God meets him there in the wine press and calls him out using all three of the foundational identities.

He says "I AM with you, mighty man of valor!" But Gideon goes on to remind God that He's got the wrong Gideon. "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." Gideon knew God was mighty but his personal perception of self was completely based on earthly standards.