Judges 6:11 says, 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.  An angel of the LORD came and sat under an oak near where Gideon threshed wheat by a winepress, while hiding from the Midianites.  I am not sure if Gideon was actually hiding from the Midianites or if he was just working where he was out of their way.  Verse twelve states, And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.  The angel tells Gideon that God is with him and that Gideon was a man of valor, which does not fit with a man who was hiding.  We should only have to hear that God is with us to make us people of valor.  Verse thirteen declares, 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.  Gideon questioned whether God was with them, since they were under the power of the Midianites.  Gideon had heard of the power of God from the older people of Israel, speaking of their deliverance from Egypt.  He evidently had not heard as much about their part in the covenant with God.  It is not enough to know about God's power unless we enter into a personal relationship with Him.  Verse fourteen proclaims, 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?  God's answer to Gideon was to go in might, which would be through the power of God, because God was going to save Israel through him.  If we are questioning the power of God, the first thing that He may do is to send us into the battle.  Verse fifteen says, 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.  Gideon did not see himself as a man of valor, but as the least of his family, which was a poor family.  We need to see ourselves as God sees us as we do what He calls us to do, and not as the world may see us.  Verse sixteen states, And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.  God said that He would be with Gideon and that He would be successful.  We have that same assurance as followers of Christ today.  Verse seventeen says, And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.  Gideon asked for a sign that God was with him.  We today do not need to ask for signs that God is with us, because if we are a Christian, then the Holy Spirit is with us to give us that assurance.  Verse eighteen says, 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.  Gideon asked that the angel remain until he brought him a present, and the angel said he would.  Verse nineteen declares, 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.  Gideon prepared a meal and brought it to the angel.  The only thing that we can bring to God that matters is our self.  Verse twenty states, 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.  Then verse twenty-one adds, 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.  The angel told Gideon to take the flesh and cakes and put them on a rock, and then he touched the flesh and cakes and fire rose out of the rock to consume them.  Then the angel left.  This should have been sign enough for Gideon.  When God gives us signs today that He is with us, why do we not put our complete faith in Him at all times?  Verse twenty-two declares, 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.  When the angel of the LORD left, Gideon cried out to God, since he had seen an angel of the LORD face to face.  We as followers of Christ have come face to face spiritually with Him, and He is much greater than any angel.  Verse twenty-three proclaims,  And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.  God told Gideon to be at peace, that he would not die.  We have an even  greater assurance from God today.  We  will not die spiritually if we put our faith in Christ, so we should be at peace in the world.  Verse twenty-four states, Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.  Gideon built an altar to God at that time.  We need to allow our hearts too be altars to God once we accept Christ as our Savioe and Lord.