Judges 7:9-11 

New International Version (NIV)

If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp … and listen to what they are saying … [and] be encouraged.”

For Meditation

In all of scripture, I have not yet seen any person with whom God dealt so tenderly as Gideon. The man was afraid, had zero self-confidence, and struggled with his commission, even after God’s encouragement. He denied he could be God’s man to liberate Israel from the Midianites. He moved under cover of darkness to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and asked for a sign in his famous fleece setting (Judges 6:11-40). Despite the obvious, God stunned Gideon by sifting his army and reducing their number to three hundred men against a strong Midianite opposition (7:1-8).

You can imagine Gideon’s state of mind the night before the fighting began, so God tenderly prodded him on with a final confidence-boosting sign that sealed Gideon’s faith (Judges 6:9-17).

If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying … [and] be encouraged (9-11).

Gideon went to the Midianite camp, listened in to a conversation between two soldiers, and heard the dream of one of them and its interpretation that assured him of a stunning victory.

Never forget this, my friend. God knows your anxious moments! The times when your faith gets tested and your confidence leaves you; those times when your knees are knocking, and the clouds of doom have stunted your visibility, God stands by you, His child, to assure and encourage. His voice is sweeter, and His Presence is overwhelming. This much, my friend, you can be sure of as His faithful child. His presence is not just a comfort, but a powerful reassurance in the face of fear.

What situation has shaken you to the core and made you fearful of tomorrow? What tidal wave has come against you that threatens to take you under? Is it a marital problem, a job situation, a business deal turned sour, an unending financial crisis, or a threatening health report? Is that why your faith is wilting like a flower under the scorching sun? Who said God is dead? Who said He ever sleeps or overwhelmed?

Remember His word of assurance in Philippians 4:6-7?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Receive this exalted promise and say, “Amen” (2 Cor. 1:20) with confidence to the glory of God, and experience calm like what fell at His command on that boisterous lake with his frightened disciples (Mk. 4:39). 

Pray with Me

Father, please let my anxious moments lead to a more profound revelation of you and your active hand in my life. Surprise me, Lord, in the precious and powerful name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, amen.

Shalom

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