Have you ever read or studied the story of Gideon? I recently began studying the book of Judges and the story of Gideon made a huge impact on my life. Judges chapters 6 and 7 have taught me some very important lessons to learn from Gideon. They’re hard lessons to learn, but I finished those chapters feeling convicted of having a faith that is not strong as I thought it was. I want to share these lessons with you today, in hopes that you too, can reflect on your own faith and walk with the Lord.
1. Begin to see yourself as God sees you.
“Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.””
Judges 6:14-16 NKJV
When God calls Gideon into ministry, Gideon doesn’t see or think of himself as God has called him. Gideon sees weakness and inferiority, where God sees pure might. But I love that God reminds him that because He was the one that had called him, Gideon would be able to fulfill the command. It’s a reminder to us, that we might not be deemed capable, worthy, or even strong enough for the things that God calls us to, but the way that He sees us, is completely different. And because He is the one who has called, He makes us capable of walking in the impossible as long as He walks before us.
2. Get your house in order.
“Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.”
Judges 6:25-27 NKJV
After Gideon made himself responsive to Gods call, God was able to guide him immediately. The first instruction upon being called, was to get his house in order by destroying the altar made to Baal that took space in his home. It amazes me that the very first thing was to clear out anything within the four walls of his home/sanctuary that did not bring glory to God and Him alone. How many of us, sometimes consciously and sometimes even unconsciously, permit idols of different sorts in our homes and family and don’t even realize that those very things we have allowed to abide in our home are what has and can cause disturbances and interference in our journey towards the ministry God had called us into.
3. Don’t live your every day with weak faith.
“So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said— look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.”
Judges 6:36-40 NKJV
Although Gideon is following the call, his faith is weak. Here, he asks God for a second and third sign (confirmation) that God is going to be with him. The first sign wasn’t enough when it should’ve been, and Gideon knew that because he specifically asks God to not get angry with him when asking for the third sign. We shouldn’t have to doubt when we already know that the call came from God. Why doubt? Has God not proven himself faithful? Has he not proven himself to be The Man of His Word? Yes, Gideon still had faith but it was imperfect faith, it was weak.
4. Keep your circle small.
“Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.”
Judges 7:1-8 NKJV
Gideon now has an army of 32,000 men to back him up in battle, but God, by specific instructions, reduces the army to 300 men. We could look at the first elimination as a means of convenience (get rid of those who were too scared). But the second elimination was a strategic one, a military tactic, if you will. You would think that an army of 300 men going against an army of 135,000 men would make it impossible to win a battle. But Gods math is perfect. Having a smaller number makes space for complete dependency on God and for God to receive glory and credit for the win. This brings me to circles. Sometimes we think “the bigger the circle we have, the better we are” but that is false. The smaller the circle the better. Why? Because when we allow for God himself to create our circle, He ensures that the people He places there, are people who will be ready for spiritual battle with you. Those people God places in your circle, are soldiers ready for spiritual warfare and are always vigilant. That is why, we shouldn’t worry when people come and go in our lives. Because when they do, we understand, that God had to place or remove them for the moments in our lives that are to come. The smaller the circle, the more we depend on God to get us through.
I’m sure there are many other lessons to learn from Gideon, but these are ones that left an imprint in my spirit. I’d love to hear from you! Tell me, which lesson impacts you the most?
Let’s chat!