When was the last time you read the story of Gideon? Remember that “mighty warrior,” the one God found hiding in the winepresses for fear of his life? Whether you remember him or not, I’d encourage you to read his story in Judges 6–8 before you read another word of mine.
As you’ve just read, the Angel of the Lord found Gideon and gave him an impossible, mountainous task to perform—or so he thought.
It could be that you’re hiding out in the winepress of your own heart today. If you are, you’ll find me in the other corner. So, while we’re huddled here together, let’s consider some thoughts the Lord brings us from the story of Gideon.
LESSONS FROM THE FEARFUL HEART OF GIDEON
1. Remember God’s faithfulness (Judg. 6:7–10).
To begin with, the Lord uses one of His prophets to give a little history lesson to His people of how He rescued and delivered them out of slavery. “I am the Lord your God,” He tells them. It’s important to keep in mind, when we’re threatened and fearful, that God is faithful.
2. Picture the Lord sitting down with you (Judg. 6:11).
As Gideon sat cowering in the winepress, the Angel of the Lord came and sat Himself down right there with him. I don’t think we often consider the fact that the Lord is sitting right with us in our fears, but He is. The sweet assurance of His presence alone should give us all the confidence we need. He’s promised never to leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5).
3. See yourself through the eyes of the Lord (Judg. 6:12).
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Despite how you see yourself, you are a mighty warrior in the Lord’s eyes. Do you believe it?
4. Get your eyes off your woes (Judg. 6:13).
“’Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’” Isn’t that just like something we’d say? It’s hard not to see things through the lens of our insurmountable problems. Until we see beyond the mountain, we’ll never see the Mountain Mover.
5. Recognize God’s strength (Judg. 6:14). “
The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’” We must open our eyes to see that it’s the Lord who has commissioned us. Once we see Him for who He is, we can go in His strength.
6. Your weaknesses are not an obstacle to the Lord (Judg. 6:15–16).
Gideon can’t help but remind God of his weaknesses. We don’t have to hear from a gameshow host to be convinced that we’re the weakest link. Our weakness is all the more reason to trust in the power of the One who is sending us and be assured of His presence with us. We are weak, but He is strong (2 Cor. 12:9)
7. Ask for a sign (Judg. 6:17).
Gideon asks that God give him a sign to make sure it’s really Him talking to him. There’s nothing wrong with making sure that the voice we hear is the voice of God. You can be sure that His signs are everywhere. Creation itself speaks of His masterful work. But, before we act on our own “gut instinct,” we must first align our hearts with His and confirm what He’s saying through His Word.
8. Offer what you have to the Lord (Judg. 6:18–21).
Before the Angel of the Lord leaves, Gideon offers him a meal and, with the Lord’s blessing, prepares it according to His specific instruction. After Gideon offers it to Him, the Lord takes it and cooks it with a consuming, holy fire. Like the boy who offered Jesus his fish and loaves, we, too must offer all we have to the Lord, as meager as it may seem. Then, we wait for His blessing.
9. Be assured of God’s peace (Judg. 6:22–23).
It wasn’t until the Lord acted that Gideon realizes it was Him. And, as He is well known in Scripture to do, He assures him of His peace, with the exhortation to not be afraid. We see this same assurance given to Moses, Mary, Abraham, Hagar, Samuel, the Apostle Paul, and others who the Lord called upon to do the impossible. Our peace comes from the fact that God makes every possible!
10. Build an altar to the Lord (Judg. 6:24).
Much like Abraham built altars and Joshua piled stones to commemorate the Lord’s divine intervention, Gideon followed suit. It’s not a bad idea for us even today. It can be as easy as recording or documenting various points on our journey when the Lord made significant appearances in our lives.
11. Bring your fears into the Light (Judg. 6:25–29).
Although the Lord told Gideon not to fear, he still did. He waited until it was dark to build an altar to the Lord because he feared the opinion of others. Sadly, in the end, they still questioned his actions and obedience to the Lord. Public opinion shouldn’t matter to us if we’re abiding by the Lord’s bidding in our lives. “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).
12. Rally the troops (Judg. 6:34–35).
The next event we read is God summoning the troops. In the same way, we need to call in reinforcements when we feel like we’re at our own limit. We weren’t called to “go it alone.” That’s where the Body of Christ comes in to encourage us and uphold us in prayer!
13. Test the Waters (Judg. 6:36–40).
It took Moses putting his staff in the Red Sea before God rolled it back. It took the priests getting their feet wet before God opened the Jordan River for Joshua and the Israelites. In the same way, Gideon’s fleece allowed God to do what He does best—perform a miracle—despite Gideon’s doubt and fear. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not good to put the Lord to a test (Deut. 6:16). But it’s not a bad thing to simply test the waters He’s opening to us by dipping our toes in. If it’s His will that you walk across on dry land, or even across the water, He’ll make a way that is sure.
14. Let God use your limitations (Judg. 7:1–8).
Much to the surprise of Gideon, after God rallies the troops, He starts whittling them down, leaving Gideon with only three hundred men. No doubt even as Gideon did what He was told, he had no idea how God would act on his behalf. I suppose that’s called faith. When we get to the end of our resources, that’s where God’s limitless resources begin.
15. Listen up (Judg. 7:9–14).
In the middle of the night, God instructs Gideon to go have a listen at the door of the enemy camp, and what he hears gives him enough courage to make a plan of attack. Part of the problem the children of Israel faced was that they hadn’t listened to the Lord at the onset. Rather, they chose to worship other gods. (Judg. 6:10). It’s important that we not only listen for God’s voice, but heed what He tells us to do when He speaks.
16. Worship the Lord (Judg. 7:15).
“When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped.” So, too, must we. We need to give credit where credit is due by worshipping the One who deserves all the praise, glory, and honor.
17. Divide and Conquer (Judg. 7:16–18).
God multiplies our efforts as we follow His marching orders. Even when dividing our best efforts, it all adds up in the end. Not unlike a little boy with a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish (Matt. 14:17–19)!
18. Give a shout of victory when the battle is won (Judg. 7:19–25). God’s victories aren’t meant to be kept to ourselves. So when He brings victory, let the whole world know!
Now, how about we move from our dark corners of the winepress to see what the Lord has in store for us?
"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Tim. 1:7).
