He Equips the Called: Gideon

Another great example of God using the ordinary to do the extraordinary comes in the form of Gideon, a hero of the old testament. His story is told in chapters 6-8 of the book of Judges.

When we find Gideon, the nation of Israel had been suffering under the control of the Midianites for seven years. They had turned away from God and so He had let them fall into this situation. The people were crying out for God's help and so He set in motion a plan to save the nation again.

God sent an angel to call Gideon, the son of Joash the Abiezrite. He referred to him as a mighty warrior and insisted that he was to save Israel. Gideon questioned God and asked why they had been abandoned. God insisted that He had not totally abandoned them and that the calling of Gideon was God's choice to save them.


The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"~Judges 6:14

So God had called Gideon, but who was Gideon to save Israel? He had no special powers. He wasn't important. He had nothing that set him apart to do such a great job. Gideon knew all of this and questioned God.

"But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." ~Judges 6:15

But God responded by reminding him that he had God's favor. Sometimes the greatest equipping God provides is the reassurance that He is with us.

The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." ~Judgest 6:16

Through Gideon, God fights against the worship of other Gods in Israel and challenges the Midianites. But again and again, Gideon challenges God's promises by asking for signs. It seems strange that Gideon would test God, but it provides a bit of useful insight for us to take away about doing God's will. Gideon never made a move until he was sure that what he was doing was God's will.

Gideon asks for clear signs. He converses with God. Similarly, when seeking God's will, we should constantly try to assess and reassess that what we are doing is what God would have us do. That's a tough thing to do, but by prayer and commitment I believe that we can truly discern our path in life. It won't always be clear immediately, but we can be assured that God is on the side of those with a heart after His.

Gideon was a nobody, but he answered God's call and did good in His sight. He was careful to be sure of God's will and eventually became a great warrior and leader of Israel.