When the the Angel of the LORD (God himself) approaches Gideon to call him as the latest leader to deliver the Israelites from their ongoing struggles with enemies, Gideon asks the age-old question, "If the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?" (Judges 6:13) This section is useful to us, who often ask the same question, because by allowing us to see the big picture God effectively answers the question.
We can't blame Gideon for asking. In his day to day life he and his community would work hard to grow grain or raise cattle only to have it destroyed by raiding Midianites time and again. Even worse, they had to live in fear of their own lives, so they were forced to live in "mountain clefts, caves, and strongholds" (6:2). Gideon must have been thinking "This is the Promised Land? It sure didn't turn out like we expected. The great God of our fathers who did all the amazing signs while leading us here--where is he now?"
The reader of Judges is blessed to have a greater perspective than Gideon on the happenings of Israel at that time. Repeatedly we read verses similar to the following: "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and he gave them into the hands of their enemies. But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer." In other words, the people began a spiritual free fall until God shook them out of it. When they repented and turned to God he was quick to deliver them. Perhaps part of the trouble was the temptation to get too comfortable in their new Promised Land, to put their trust in worldly things or themselves rather than God.
When troubles arise in our lives today we don't have the luxury of reading about the context in Scripture to see why God is doing what he's doing. However, we know from multiple accounts in the Bible that, even in troubles, "all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28).
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