My Dear Friend,

When in the lowest season of his life Gideon was suddenly told by an angel he was divinely chosen to deliver Israel, he responded incredulously, “How shall I save Israel" (Judges 6:15)? Though this was not the right response, it was understandable.

Gideon explained his doubts, "Behold, my family is poor, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15). Great things were expected of rich Jews in Gideon's culture, because they were blessed of God. But not the poor! And the first-born son, having received a double portion of his father's inheritance, and his blessing, he was expected to do great things. But not the youngest son!

If ten of us were suddenly transplanted into Gideon's culture, all ten would probably say exactly what he said. Or think it. But God, and His messenger, thought and said differently.

Speaking for God, the angel said, “Surely, I will be with thee" (Judges 6:16). Wow! With this one statement, everything radically changed. God, the almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, Deliverer of Israel from Egypt, Israel's supernatural Guide in the desert, the One before whom the Red Sea and Jordan river trembled and fled, this God pledged He would be with Gideon! Not possibly, probably, or potentially, but "Surely!" The matter was decided, certain, fixed. At this point, Gideon was stunned. So, still silent, in the quiet stillness he kept listening.

And God kept speaking: "Thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man,” meaning Gideon's lightly trained forces would defeat the vast, humanly superior, highly trained and battled hardened Midianite armies as simply and easily as if they were one man. Though Gideon was still baffled by all this, God's message was beginning to filter through into his rattled mind: the significance of God being with him overrode Gideon's human insignificance. Regardless of Gideon's low self-esteem, and others' dubious opinions, God had spoken. The conversation and controversy was over.

As Gideon mused on God's dictum, it grew clearer, richer, more powerful, more impactful. Who Gideon was in his or men's eyes meant nothing. That God Almighty was with him, in His full divine Person - His overwhelming power, His sustaining peace, His penetrating presence, His superior wisdom - fighting for Gideon, giving him victory, enabling him to lead God's people well, this was everything. What followed?

Gideon believed. He summoned Israel's tribes. He tested his army. The fearful were sent home and the watchful, wise minority of only 300 men attacked the Midianites. Not Gideon's way but God's way. And the Midianites fell before Gideon "as one man." Gideon then judged Israel 40 years, during which Israel enjoyed idol-free living, divine security, and divine peace. Thus, in the end, God's significance more than made up for Gideon's insignificance. The lesson to us?

Has God called you to a ministry? As a pastor? A teacher? A missionary? An elder? A youth leader? A children's instructor? An intercessory prayer leader? Or another position of responsibility in the church? Or one in your natural vocation or profession? Are you plagued by doubts in your ability to fulfill your new duties? Or have critics laughed you off as the Jews did when they heard God had chosen Saul, an ass breeder's son with no leadership experience, to be their king? Their response was, "How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no [coronation] presents" (1 Samuel 10:27). Perhaps you are receiving similar responses from fellow Christians or family members. "Him, in ministry? No way! You must be mistaken." Or, "Her, called to the mission field? Who does she think she is kidding?" And there's more.

You doubt your call, too! When you compare your knowledge, abilities, education, training, and experience with others similarly called or employed, you just don't measure up. When you consider the greater responsibilities attached to your new post or ministry, the sense of your human insignificance presses down on you like a crushing weight. "How will I handle this? How can I possibly succeed? How can I avoid failure? I couldn't bear hearing Jesus say, 'Oh, you unfaithful, failed servant'"!

Then remember Gideon! And ask yourself, has God Almighty or God "almost-mighty" called you? If the former, never, ever, under any circumstances, no matter how alone, impotent, defeated, or forlorn you feel, allow yourself to be intimidated by persisting thoughts of your insignificance. Dismiss them all, immediately and permanently. They are human reasonings, the deadliest enemy of faith: "To be carnally minded is death . . . the carnal mind is enmity against [hostility toward] God" (Romans 8:6-7). Settle it: when God has spoken to you, self-doubt is sinful. And prompted by satanic spirits, not the Holy Spirit.

If you believe your self-doubts, they become self-fulfilling prophecies. If you believe you cannot, you will not. If you doubt God, you dismiss God and His victorious aid. If you fear failure, fearful failures follow you everywhere. If you listen to your detractors instead of your Deliverer, you immediately go captive - first to fear, then to weakness, and then to confusion, ineptness, and failure. And shame.

But if you focus on, and claim as your own, God's message to Gideon, everything changes radically. You believe in God's unfailing faithfulness, grow in faith, soar in strength, think clearly, act decisively, perform excellently, and succeed marvelously. And overflow with joy!

You have defeated your "Midianites," the people and powers of darkness, in God's strength. In His wisdom. By His power. For His Name. And kingdom. And honor. And, seeing your victory by childlike faith in His unfailing faithfulness, His people will faithfully follow your example and replicate your victory in their own callings. And your Gideon experience will not end there.

You go "from strength to strength - increasing in victorious power" from one level of enduring faith to another, and another (Psalm 84:7, AMP). In every future challenge, you apply Gideon's lesson. Consequently, more victories, greater victories are yours, and God's, and His people's! Radically changed, you become the living, forward-moving incarnation of Jesus' words, "Nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20).

Time and again, God's greatness overrides your smallness. His power overrides your weakness. His wisdom overrides your inability to confidently make hard decisions. His experience overrides your inexperience. His spiritual gifts override your lack of natural talents. His Spirit's supernatural, life-impacting anointing on your words overrides your naturally ineffective manner of speaking. The largeness of His love overrides the smallness of your heart, and increases it with His unlimited compassion for His people, and all people. Thus, your insignificance melts, His all-powerful significance is molded in you, and you emerge an entirely new instrument remade by His powerful hands.

You become a living embodiment of Isaiah's inspiring prophecy to Israel when it, too, suffered doubts of its calling: "Fear not, thou worm, [people of] Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee . . .Behold, I will make thee a new, sharp, threshing instrument, having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills like chaff" (Isaiah 41:14-15).

You will be neither intimidated nor crushed by imposing "mountains" of trouble but rather intimidate and crush them. You will "thresh" (separate for judgment) complex situations, easily identifying key facts and discerning right and wrong paths and faithful and unfaithful people. Your growing confidence in God's unfailing faithfulness will also sharpen your situational insight. You will see imposing adversaries as small "chaff" and watch in wonder as God's righteous judgment "blows" them far away where they cannot again harm you. You will be transformed into the image of Christ's boldness so fully that you will eventually bear no likeness to Gideon's early timidness but rather share Peter's and John's boldness in Christ: "When they saw the boldness of Peter and John . . . they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Want to get there?

Great! But today, begin where you are. Recall and ponder God's transformative message to Gideon. Remember, Gideon's God is with you. He will help you. He will guide you. He will fill and refill you with His Holy Spirit every time you ask Him. He will fight against those who fight against you.

And one day, with your own eyes and ears, you will witness all opposition, however significant, fall before His greater significance. Despite your human insignificance!

Remembering, believing, transforming, winning,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES