Fear

Judges 6:23

But the Lord said to him, Peace be with you. Do not fear. You shall not die.

 

How wonderful that God can use someone who is so fearful! The Israelites had done evil in the sight of God so the Lord had given them into the hand of the Midianites. These evil people devoured all the crops so much so that the Israelites had to live in caves in the mountains. The Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah where Gideon was beating out the wheat to hide it in the wine press.

 

The angel of the Lord addressed Gideon as a mighty man of valor saying the Lord was with him. But Gideon wondered how that could be since the Lord had given them over to the Midianites. The Lord spoke to him directly saying, Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you? God obviously knew what was deep inside Gideon to call him a mighty man of valor because his fear took hold many times throughout his journey of saving Israel from Midian. 

 

Excuses and fear...yet God used Gideon.

• I can't do this I am from the weakest clan in Manasseh and the least in his father's house. The Lord said, But I will be with You, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.
• Then he wanted a sign to prove who was really speaking to him. He prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes as a gift for the Angel of the Lord. The Angel told him to put the meat and the cakes on a rock and pour broth over them. Then the angel stretched out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and consumed the meat and the cakes. Gideon did know now beyond any doubt that his visitor was the Angel of the Lord. The Lord said, Peace be to you. Do not fear. You shall not die.
• Gideon was to pull down his father's altar to Baal and the Asherah and build an altar to God offering his father's two bulls, the second bull being offered on the wood of the Asherah. So Gideon took 10 men and did as he was told. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. The men of the town searched to find the culprit for this atrocity. It was soon discovered that it was Gideon. Going to his father, they asked for Gideon to put him to death, but as God would have it, his father defended him saying that Baal could contend for his own altar. So on that day Gideon's name was changed to Jerubbal, Let Baal contend against him.
• A battle was brewing, Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east camped in the Valley of Jezreel. The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon and he called his people together. Before Gideon could do battle, he had to deal with his fear again. He put out the fleece twice to make sure this was God's plan, yet God was patient with him.
• The Lord told Gideon that the people with him were too many, lest Israel would boast in themselves and not in God. So first we had the water test, lappers vs. kneelers. The lappers were sent home and the 300 kneelers stayed with Gideon.
• The Lord had given the enemy into Gideon's hand. That same night God allowed him to take his servant Purah with him to search out the enemy. He went as far as the outposts looking and hearing. When he came back to camp, a man was telling his dream, a dream about Gideon and the sword of the Lord.
• Dividing the men into 3 companies, he gave them trumpets, empty jars, and torches. When Gideon would give the signal, they would shout For the Lord and for Gideon. The three companies followed the plan smashing. shouting, and torching. The enemy was captured and Israel was the victor.

How patient the Lord was with Gideon! Just like God knew Gideon's heart, He knows our hearts. He can transform a heart of fear to a heart of obedient victory. We just need to come to Him and not remain paralyzed by fear.

 

Father,

Make my heart in sync with your heart. Help me to bring my fears to You as Gideon did. Give me Your grace and strength to walk forward for You.

In His name,

Amen