The story of Gideon is quickly becoming one of my favorite stories in all the Bible. I've read it a few times lately, and each time I notice new things and learn more about our God. We read it to our boys the other day in school, and last night I shared it with our hostel girls and God just continues to teach me more through the Old Testament. And to think that I used to not be able to get into the OT...now I can't get enough of it!
Gideon is another one of the countless examples of God choosing the weak, the sinful, the imperfect, to accomplish His purposes. Abraham the fatherless became the father of many nations. Moses the stutterer became the mighty leader of the Israelites. Rahab the prostitute aided the spies and is listed in the genealogy of Jesus. David, the man after God's own heart, committed two sins that were very unlike God's character. And then there's Gideon. The coolest part is that all of these seemingly imperfect sinners are listed in Hebrews 11 as examples of those with great faith who are left for us to follow. It's amazing what God can do through those the world views as unable and incapable!
Gideon is chosen as the fifth judge of the Israelites, and we meet him in Judges 6. When talking with an angel of the Lord, Gideon describes himself as weak--his tribe is the weakest, and he is the weakest of all his family. He clearly thinks that God has chosen the wrong man to lead the Israelites against the mighty Midianites, a force of over 120,000 men. But God doesn't make mistakes. He chooses us each for a reason, and He chose Gideon for a specific purpose.
I love how the angel of the Lord addresses Gideon. In verse 12, he says, "Mighty Hero, the Lord is with you." Here Gideon is referring to himself as weak, while God is calling him mighty. The angel also tells Gideon to go with the strength that he has, which implies that weak Gideon has strength that maybe he is unaware of.
God doesn't view Gideon the way that he views himself or even the way that others view him. God sees Gideon in a completely different way. He doesn't see him as he is in that moment, but He views him as who he could become with God's power within him. He doesn't look at Gideon and see his past failures or even the failures that he will make in the near future. Instead he looks at Gideon and sees his beloved child and the ways that He wants to use him. Even when Gideon's faith wavers in his conquest of the Midianites, God still views him as a mighty hero and a man of strength.
I love that and I need to be reminded of it. God doesn't remember my past failures at all. It's not just that He chooses not to think about them, but He actually has no memory of them. I wish I could wrap my mind around that. I look at myself as someone who struggles with pride, selfishness, gossip, doubt, among many other things. But God looks at me as His daughter, created in His image, and for whom He has great things planned. When I feel weak, He reminds me to go with the strength that I have and that He'll be there with me to provide all the strength I'll ever need.
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