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.
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