Gideon: Following God's CallSample

Gideon: Called by God

Go in this might of yours . . . do not I send you? (v. 14)

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by everything that’s going on in the world. I can relate to the Israelites’ desire to hide out in caves, taking shelter from the oppressive powers that raged around them. Sometimes, after taking one look at the headlines, it feels like the only reasonable course of action is to get back in bed and pull the covers over my head.

In the midst of Israel’s dire need, the angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and calls him a “mighty man of valor” (v. 12). Gideon did not feel like a mighty man of valor. He calls himself “the least in my father’s house,” and points out that his clan is the “weakest” (v. 15). But God knows Gideon better than Gideon knows himself. God knows that he has made Gideon to be filled with bravery. Even better, God knows that he himself is doing the sending. As the apostle Paul writes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

How is God sending us into our tumultuous world today? What mighty valor will God give us to face the seemingly overwhelming powers of our day? When I reflect on the surprising news that little Gideon was filled with mighty valor, I am encouraged to throw my covers back, get out of bed, and face the day.

As you pray, ask God to show you how he sees you and where he is sending you.