Still Used By God

Thursday March 13, 2025

Still used by God.  In today’s reading, we are reacquainted with a familiar account from Scripture, the account of Gideon.  God will use Gideon in a mighty way, but we get a glimpse into what it must have been like for this man to be used by God.  First, it begins with his calling.  Gideon, was threshing wheat in a winepress because he was hiding from the Midianites (Judges 6:11).  An angel appears to Gideon and says, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior” (v.12).  Valian warrior?  He is in hiding?  Gideon asks a common question, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? And where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about (v.13).  These are real struggles that Gideon is wrestling with and are exposed here for our learning.  The angel says, “Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian.  I am sending you” (v.14).  God is going to use this man, with all of his doubts and questions, to deliver the people?  After Gideon expresses more doubt about his calling and preparedness, he sets out a fleece to be sure of deliverance.  You remember.  He firsts asks God that if God will deliver Israel by his hand that a fleece he sets out will have dew on it only, but the ground around it will be dry.  Now, God had already told him to go and that He would be with Gideon, but Gideon seemed to need some reassurance.  God answers that request and the fleece is wet, but the land was dry around it.  However, still with some doubts, he asks God a second time about the fleece, but this time for God to keep the fleece dry, but the ground around it wet.  God answers again.  In one more revelation of weakness, God tells Gideon to get up and attack the camp of Midian, BUT if Gideon was afraid to attack it, to go down with his servant, Purah, to listen to what the people of Midian were saying so that he would be encouraged for the battle (Judges 7:9-10).  Sure enough, before attacking, Gideon went down with his servant to listen, indicating that he was afraid (v.11).  Despite all of these weaknesses that are revealed in Gideon, he still had faith, however small, to go and fight the battle. Are we waiting to be completely bold, brave, and full of faith before we are used by God?  If that is the case, it may never happen.  Go by faith, no matter how little you think it to be, even if it seems to be a small step of faith; take that step!