Clark Kent becomes SUPERMAN!

God loves an underdog...it's when He does His best work! In chapter six we see a timid, fearful Gideon. God asks him to take down the idol of Baal and to cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Gideon rounds up ten buddies...and because he is afraid they sneak around at night to do the deed. Word spreads it was Gideon and his bunch that destroyed Baal.  An angry mob wants him killed...but his fast thinking dad, Joash, challenges the men...in a mocking tone..."If your Baal is so great...let him do his own fighting!" And...guess what...nothing happens. No surprise...stone statues don't do much. But what did happen is Gideon's reputation changes...his name becomes Jerub-Baal...meaning Baal Fighter!

Fearful Gideon

Don't you just love it? Can't you just see it? Folks whispering..."Look, it's Baal Fighter!" Clark Kent takes off his glasses...sweeps his cap around his shoulders and takes on all the bad guys. It is a common theme of many tales...the weak become strong. Whimpy guy takes on the bully...whimpy guy through a series of fortunate events wins. In the Word...over and over we see men of God transformed...when that happens God assigns them a new name. The Gideon of chapter six is not the Gideon of chapter seven. He has changed. With God he has become courageous. He walks a little taller...he speaks with a new boldness. He is not the same person. Crisis changes us.

Let me say it again...just in case you missed it! Crisis changes us...forever.  It is designed by God to change us. The valley we walk through...changes our perspective. The sports world coined the phrase "no pain, no gain"...reminding us that building mental and physical strength comes through hard work and effort...stretching our capabilities and muscles. It is painful. With each growth spurt as a Christian....you can guarantee it's beginning is rooted in human crisis. Often through devastating events we find our passion, our calling or our place to serve. When we are weak...we find we are walking closest to God. While clinging to Him...He leads us where He wants us to go. He renames us. He whispers...you are not you...you are now new...who I always knew you could be.

I wonder what God would rename me after a crisis? I wonder...maybe I might be Defender of Little Ones....or Seeker of Truth....Fighter for Family....I want my new transformed name to be one of strength and boldness for my King! I pray I would live with passion and renewed commitment to my God.

Gideon...Jerub-baal
Baal Fighter! 

When I am weak...He is strong!

The three chapters in Judges about Gideon are so full of good stuff it is hard to even know where to begin. God loves surprises! I wonder if He gets a twinkle in His eye right before He exhibits His glory to His children. When Sara laughed...I imagine God chuckled too. She doubted...but He knew that only when a barren belly bore a babe that the world would have no doubt that God's power provided renewed health, energy, and youth for a 90 plus woman to become a new mom. Then there is the time He plucked a young boy from a herd of sheep to face a nine foot giant...with a sling shot! Over and over God uses the weak to display His strength. It is as if He smiles and says...."Stand back...give me some room...now watch this!" Do you doubt who is in control?

As we read Judges 6 we find the Israelites have fallen (again!) They completely turned away from God...so for seven years the Lord allowed them to fall into the hands of the Midianites. The Midianites were powerful and oppressive! They ravaged the Israelites. Once again when in trouble...the Israelites call out to God for help. He was always there...just waiting to be asked. No crisis is ever powerful enough to place you out of the hands of God!

Who did God tap out to lead this rebellious bunch...insecure, timid, small in stature...and fearful Gideon. And do you know how God approached him? He appeared as an angel and said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." God called Gideon a mighty warrior! He wasn't...not yet! God loves to make the impossible possible...and the improbable probable. God always sees the heart of his children...he pays no attention to all that other stuff. God is always more interested in changing our hearts instead of our circumstances. He is not interested in our size, our age, our features, our handicaps...He sees what we do not see...because He knows HIS plan for our lives. Doesn't that just give you chills?

I wonder what God sees in me that I don't see? The word tells us that when we get to heaven we won't need our earthly bodies. They are just a shell for our spirit. Yet the word also tells us that when we get to heaven we will recognize each other. Do you suppose it will be because we will recognized by our hearts...the heart that God always sees? I wonder what phrase God would use to call me? I pray that in all circumstances my ears will be open to hear and my eyes will be open to see God's plan for me...because I know that I am weak and puny...but HE is strong.

Hmmmm...What's so special about Gideon?

Hebrews chapter 11 is often referred to as the Who's Who of the Faithful. It is really a listing of some of the super faith-fillled servants in the Bible. Out of all sixty-six books in the Bible...including the twelve chapters in the book of Judges there are just three chapters about Gideon. Yet...there he is listed in the incredible list of saints in the New Testament. These guys and gals are the super stars of the Bible stories....Noah, Abraham, Jacob...Moses, David. There embedded in this remarkable list is Gideon.

Now Gideon means mighty warrior or feller of trees. So right away you imagine this massive strength of a man chopping down forests of trees....kind of the Paul Bunyan during Bible times. But it seems that his parents were wishful thinking when they named him. He never physically grew into his name. Scripture tells us he was part of the weakest tribe...and he was the weakest in the weakest tribe. So our Gideon is no mighty warrior by our worldly definition...and therein lies the surprise. God LOVES surprises!

God loves nothing more than to use the smallest of small, the weakest of weak, the most interesting moments or unlikely individuals. I wonder if He chuckles to himself before He exhibits the spectacular.  He reminds us that HE is God...and we are not. Gideon will be a mighty warrior and a feller of trees...but not how you and I envision it. It will be all God's doing. Just you wait and see....

Gideon's story is our story. 

When we are weak...He is strong.