Gideon (part one)

First, a slight background: The nation of Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord, turning to other gods and doing right in their own eyes, so he turned them over to the Midianites. They and their confederates came against Israel and laid waste to the land, destroying all of the crops and carrying away every beast, leaving Israel impoverished and fearful.

It is during this time we find Gideon threshing wheat beside a winepress. Yes, hiding from the Midians, but also daring to thresh wheat anyway. Then, an angel of the lord approaches him and begins this conversation:

"The LORD is with thee thou mighty man of valor. 

And Gideon said to 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 father 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. 

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 I not sent thee?..." 

There is more to that conversation, but the part that stood out to me was this last part: "Go in this thy might... have I not sent thee?" and the beginning statement when he called Gideon a mighty man of valor. God, who has no limits, saw Gideon for all he had been, all he was, and all he would become; He expected him to obey because "have I not sent thee?" I find that to be a fantastic, and wonder if God could come to me and expect the same?

As I said earlier there is more to the conversation; Gideon does ask how he can be expected to do such a great thing, only to once again receive the answer that God will be with him. He responds with asking for a sign that it is God that speaks to him and offers a sacrifice only to be humbled when he realizes that he has been speaking with an Angel of the Lord. He then builds an alter to God and calls it Jehovahshalom.

Later that same evening God tells Gideon to destroy his father's alter to baal and the grove that was beside it, and build an alter to God there and sacrifice a bullock on it. Gideon obeyed, he was afraid of his father's household and the townsmen and did it by night, but he obeyed. He did not let his fear hold him back from doing the right thing, is this not an awesome picture of courage? Could I have such a courage?

Recently I have been struggling with trust and desiring God's best for me. In theory I trust that he will care for me and provide all I need, and will work through me. However, when it comes to actually giving a practical expression of this in my life I find myself baulking. I went so far as to tell God that while I had given all I had to Him and claimed I was completely His, I would rather He not actually ask for it, but let me hold on to and control the things that were now "His".

Then I read the story of Gideon... I was challenged and inspired by his confidence that there was a God in Israel despite the nations present circumstances, and his the ability to see God in those circumstances and not turn his back. Then to 'watch' how God answered his questions and how Gideon responded in spite of his fears. I want to be like that... to ask honest questions but to take steps of action in spite of any fear present.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.”