How is God With Us?

WEDNESDAY 3.19.08 – GIDEON
Gideon’s doubt was not easy to satisfy. More than once, he asks God to reassure him with signs. Being the youngest and from the weakest clan, the idea that he would rescue Israel just seemed to be too much to swallow. Read Gideon’s story in Judges 6.

Gideon, God's mighty warrior who is hiding from the Midianites when the Lord comes to speak with him. The thing that he was hiding from was exactly what You had him stand up and conquer. And the over riding message to the whole story again is that Gideon does not have to do the work and the deliverance alone but that it is in Your power.

I don't understand how this all works. I mean, when there is this promise that You will be with us when we step out in faith and do something that the Scriptures call us to, what does that mean? It certainly doesn't always mean that You'll perform miracles for us. In fact, Gideon goes about the whole process of breaking down Baal's altars with his own two hands. He doesn't stand in front of them and call down fire out of the sky. And then, when the townspeople are ready to kill him for destroying their gods, it's not You in miraculous fashion that saves him, but his father who says, reasonably, "Let Baal fight for himself."

So, where were You with Gideon here? It seems so Sunday School-ish and simple to say that You were acting through the other people in the story. It may be true but it is not satisfactory. When I am truly scared about stepping out and leading somewhere new, I don't want to just trust that You will work through others and that You will be "with" me in some mystical sense. I want to see You work in visions, signs, and miracles. I want solid proof that my success comes from You. The miraculous seems unquestionable because humans cannot perform it.

That's what makes it hard to step out and do anything most of the time. Cognitively, I know that You are with me, it's written all over the Biblical text. But physically, how is that going to help me. In class today, when I am trying to teach some of Your truths and students are bored out of their minds, how will I feel that You are with me?

It's interesting, in James it says that if we doubt we will receive nothing. I argued in class that that is not because You're not trying to give it, but rather, that we're not willing to receive it. Notice that the language in that passage is one of not receiving, instead of You not giving. It seems to me that as Bryan was pointing out, there is one key about the way that we deal with doubt, and that is obedience. Though we doubt, we must forge ahead and give You the chance to prove true. For if we don't obey, we will never receive. If doubt causes us to be paralyzed, then we will never have the chance to let You disprove our doubt.

So there is an element of confidence in You even before doubt is relieved. That is my faith. That little bit of confidence that should allow me to step out and do the things that Scripture has revealed to be correct, that is my faith. As strong as that confidence is, the more that I can undertake for You.

I want small things today from my faith. To be able to teach confidently and for my words to be of You. To be able to encourage in the face of frustration. To be able to discipline in the face of conflict. To be able to speak truth in love if needed to my friends, again in the face of conflict. These are the things where I could truly say, I am hiding from these responsibilities and I am weak. But, "the LORD is with me, mighty warrior."

Let me forge ahead.