Some Bible heroes step onto the page already brave. Gideon did not. When we first meet him in Judges chapter 6, he is hiding.
If you have ever felt too small, too scared or too ordinary for what God might be asking of you, Gideon’s story is a gift. It shows us that God does not wait for us to feel strong before He calls us. He calls us, and then He makes us strong.
A Nation in the Caves
For seven years, Israel had been crushed by raiders from Midian. Every time the people planted crops, the Midianites and their allies swept in with their camels and tents and stripped the land bare. The Bible says they came “as grasshoppers for multitude” (Judges 6:5). Families fled to dens and caves in the mountains just to survive.
Scripture is honest about why. Israel had drifted from the Lord. But even then, when they “cried unto the LORD” (Judges 6:6), He heard them and began to answer.
Threshing Wheat in Secret
God’s answer showed up in an unlikely place. Gideon was threshing wheat by the winepress, “to hide it from the Midianites” (Judges 6:11). Wheat was normally threshed in an open, windy place. Gideon was doing it in a hidden corner, afraid of being seen.
Then the angel of the LORD appeared and spoke words that must have sounded almost funny:
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”
Judges 6:12 (KJV)
Mighty man of valour? Gideon was hiding! But God was not describing who Gideon felt like that day. He was describing who Gideon would become with God beside him.
“Why Then Is All This Befallen Us?”
Gideon did not answer with a cheer. He answered with a hard question: “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” (Judges 6:13).
Many of us have asked something similar. If God is with me, why is my family struggling? Why did the job fall through? Why does the storm keep coming? It is comforting to see that God did not scold Gideon for asking. He simply looked at him and sent him: “Go in this thy might… have not I sent thee?” (Judges 6:14).
Gideon still pushed back: “my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15). And God gave the answer that settles every one of our excuses:
“Surely I will be with thee” (Judges 6:16).
When God Shrinks the Army
Gideon gathered an army of thousands. Then God did something surprising. He told Gideon he had too many men.
“The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2).
First, everyone who was afraid was allowed to go home. Then God tested the rest at the water, and only a small group remained. The Lord said, “By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you” (Judges 7:7).
Three hundred, against an enemy like grasshoppers for number. Armed with trumpets, empty pitchers and lamps hidden inside them, Gideon’s little band surrounded the camp at night. When they blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers and let the lights shine, the enemy fled in confusion. The victory clearly belonged to God.
What Gideon Teaches Us Today
- God sees who you can become. He called a frightened man “mighty man of valour.” He sees more in you than your fear does.
- Honest questions are welcome. Gideon brought his doubts straight to God, and God kept walking with him.
- Your weakness is not a barrier. “I am the least” was not a problem for God. It was the very place where His strength would show.
- Less can be more. Sometimes God trims away what we lean on so that we lean on Him. A smaller paycheck, a quieter season or a short list of friends may be where He shows Himself most clearly.
- Let the light out. The lamps only shone when the pitchers were broken. Our broken places can become the very spots where God’s light shines through to others.
For the One Who Feels Like the Least
Maybe you are reading this from your own hiding place. Maybe you feel like the least in your family, your workplace or your church. Hear what God said to Gideon, because He says it to His children still: “Surely I will be with thee.”
You do not have to feel mighty to take the next faithful step. You only have to trust the One who goes with you. Through every storm, we rise together.
Have you ever felt like Gideon, too small for what God was asking? What helped you take the first step? Share your story to encourage someone else.
Sources: King James Bible, Judges 6:5, 6:6, 6:11-16 and Judges 7:2, 7:7 (checked on King James Bible Online, Judges Chapter 6 and Judges Chapter 7).
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