Oh, You Of Little Faith

Article 104 | Why Gideon? (Pt. 3)

God doesn't see where you are; He sees where you're going. He doesn't need you to be ready; He only needs you to be willing. This week, we're putting those together and talking about what they form, Faith. What better way to do so than through the lens of a broken man? A man of little faith: Gideon.

We find him in a pressing dilemma. In the last article, he destroyed the local altar of Baal and the neighboring Asherah Pole, two common instruments of idol worship. It's now the morning after, and as you might imagine, the village is thrown into an uproar when they find that their places of worship have been desecrated. When they come for Gideon, it's his father who steps in and argues that if Baal is a real god, then he should define himself. When nothing happens, it becomes clear that he is the Lord's chosen.

It is here, "soon after," scripture says, while the altar destruction episode was still fresh in everyone's mind, that the Midianites arrive once more to rain terror. Gideon's recent bravery makes him the obvious candidate for leadership. The people of Israel look to him for instruction. What does he say to do?

Perhaps he's buying time, stalling, but Gideon asks God for a sign of whether he is sure about choosing him, of all people, to lead them into war. We should note that by this point, he had already received a sign at the moment of his calling, meaning this would now be the second time Gideon doubts and asks for reassurance. He asks the Lord to do the impossible: make the sheet of fleece he lays outside wet while the ground around it is dry, and, as if this is not enough, the day after, he asks God to make the fleece dry while the ground around it is wet. Gideon is, without a doubt, a man of little faith. He doesn't ask for one sign; he asks for two!

Naturally, this has caused me to question how we are called to stretch our faith in Christ. Should we also be asking for signs? Where is the line between healthy faith and unbalanced, blind optimism? Is it ok to have doubts? Of course, Gideon does not want to anger God; he understands he is pushing the limits. And so, it's worth considering the finer details of this exchange that help us understand how today, which Gideon did not benefit from.

Firstly, consider the heart with which Gideon approaches God. Notice that the signs he is requesting aren't favors or huge miraculous signs for everyone to see; they are intimate and private for him and him alone. Secondly, Gideon is a very innocent individual; he is genuinely yearning to know. It is a delicate line, and while it is not wrong to seek confirmation and gain wisdom (we are encouraged to do so), this can quickly become a coping mechanism and excuse as a crutch for our own inept inaction. We must realize intent matters; we are called not to test God out of doubt, but rather to reach out to him from a position of yearning for understanding.

Furthermore, we find ourselves in a modern-day position vastly different from that of Gideon. We have tools and blessings that Gideon did not have, which means we are fundamentally starting from two separate places. The first is the completed scripture as a whole, and the second is the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within us once we invite Christ to enter our hearts as Lord and Savior.

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Ultimately, this is a beautiful note to include in Gideon's narrative, and it reveals much about how we should approach the Lord amid our doubts. We should keep it private and intentional. If you ask for clarification, don't make it loud or extra; do so in the quiet of your time with Him. When you find yourself in this position, ensure you are reaching out from a heart posture of wisdom rather than arrogance.

Jesus himself discussed the size of faith in the New Testament, clarifying that the quality of your 

faith and who you place your faith in matter far more than its size. He specifically uses the image of a mustard seed, which is only about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, to describe the kind of heart he was searching for. Taking a look at Gideon, it's hard to believe he even has a mustard-sized quantity of faith at all, but then again, not only does God often choose and use those with little faith, but he seems to prefer it.

Next week, we will finally dive into the high point of Gideon's story, his fight against the Midianites. But until then, we should all ask ourselves whether what we really need is "another sign" or whether we have enough confirmation, and the Lord is only waiting for you to make that next move before he takes care of the rest. If you decide you do need some deeper seeking, check your heart and your intentions. Keep it between you and God alone. Remember, doubt doesn't disqualify us; it's rather an invitation to draw closer to God. Enough with the excuses. Take your next step today.

- Making The Most Of Being Curious Daniel J. Cuesta

P.S. Throughout today's piece, I have referred to Gideon as a "man of little faith" intentionally. Clearly, after all these back-and-forths, we should all be able to agree that Gideon is a real straggler; he's the last to get on board with the plan and needs a lot of help being convinced once he's on it. And YET! He is one of the six names listed in the Scriptures' Hall of Faith, a passage in the book of Hebrews that highlights the incredible and immaculate worthy faith of many of history's most Godly men and women. Mhm. Gideon made the cut. Somehow, he stands as an exemplary model for how we should approach faith and our relationship with God, and today, we have explored and better understood why.

Sources:

The Testing Of The Fleece: Judges 6:36–40

Definition of Faith: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1