you do not realize now, but

Reading up on Gideon's exploits in Judges for a lesson tomorrow and picked up on the process of awareness which he undergoes in Judg6:11-24. Thought it would be nice to outline here:
* Encounters God, unbeknownst to him (v11). Important to note that Lord reached out to Him first, as is always the process
* Gideon calls him lord, little l (v13). We often see God as a god, one of many.
* Gideon recognizes something different about Him and acknowledges His authority with a Lord, capital L (v15). Our first exposure to Christ might move us to pay tribute to a great teacher and spiritual leader.
* Gideon recognizes the deity of Christ, visible in the Thees and Thys (v17). That first realization that Jesus is in fact the way, the truth, and the life is something otherworldly.
* Gideon bows down to Jehovah Shalom (v24). Only through Christ can true peace and rest be found.