by Ron Fast
Real People, Real Faith Series
Gideon -"Who Me?" Faith
Ron Fast
[email protected]
Copyright 2007 by Ron Fast
Intro
Imagine that you were working in the garage. You really liked to create stuff with wood. You were just starting a new project. You wanted to surprise your pet pot-bellied pig with a new pig house. You named your pig, “porkus pigus” (this name sounded scientific) or, “P.K.” for short. He out-grew his last home and needed to have a larger one. You used to keep him in the house but he was getting so big that it was getting really tough to bathe him in the bathtub, besides he left such a big ring around the tub that you got tired of scrubbing the tub. Anyway, you were working away on PK’s new 2-story pig house.
Suddenly over the radio you hear, “Fred” (that’s your name, by-the-way). You look around to see who just called your name. There was no one around so you figured the announcer on the radio was just talking to someone in the studio.
You get back to work, after all, you needed to get this done before PK’s barfday so that you could give it to him as a gift. Again, you hear your name on the radio, “Fred, Hello.” You respond with “Hello.” The voice on the radio says, “Fred, this is God.” Now you are really confused, so you answer, “Uh-huh!! Yeah, right.” “No, really, this is God.” “This has got to be a joke”, you say to yourself. The voice says, “I heard that. This is not a joke. I’m really God and I want to talk to you.” You stop what you’re doing, walk around to the radio and look behind thinking that it was your dorky little bro paying you back for the underwear of his that you soaked in water and then froze. You remember a scream coming from his room when he attempted to wear them. But there was no one behind the radio. So you sit there thinking about it for a couple of minutes. Finally, you say, “Who is this, really?” “I told you. This is God. You know, the big dude upstairs who holds your life in His hands. The One who created the universe.” “Okay,” you say, “I’m on Candid Camera, aren’t I?” “No, really, this is God, now listen to me.” “Okay, if this is really God, then why are you using the radio to speak to me? Can’t you just, like, speak to me through my thoughts instead of freaking me out by talking through the radio?”
God: “Yeah, I could have. But I thought I would do something different for a change. Anyway, I have a job that I want you to do.”
Fred: “You do?”
God: "Yup, you!! You know that gang called the ‘Terrible Tweebs’?”
Fred: “Yeah, they’re a scary bunch. They catch flies and they tie up their itty-bitty little wings so they can’t fly. Then they throw them in the air and yell at them ‘fly, fly’. But the poor little ‘walks’ (that’s what you call a fly when he can’t fly anymore) just drop to the ground. You should see the expressions on their faces when they know they can’t fly anymore. It’s so sad. . . But they’re a very scary and mean bunch. You’re not going to ask me to . . .”
God: “I want you to take some of your friends and go and convince them that they are making me very angry and that they need to stop.”
Fred: “Yikes. You’ve got to be kidding.”
God: “Nope. I never kid.”
Fred: “The Terrible Tweebs have been terrorizing this town for a long time. People are really afraid of them. People bigger and smarter than I am have tried to get them to stop but each of them have failed. The town's people have just gotten used to them and try to ignore them. But people have tried before to talk to them about what they are doing is wrong, but they end up getting their arms tied behind their backs and then told to buzz around like flies for 5 whole hours in public. Can you imagine the humiliation they endured because they spoke up against the Terrible Tweebs? I can’t do that. I’m a nobody. I’m even less than a nobody. Kids at school laugh at me all the time and call me nasty names like, “A Walking Zit” or “Zit Head”. I have lousy grades. I’m too uncoordinated to play any sports. I tried to play football one time but ran the opposite way when they gave me the ball. I scored for the opposite team. I couldn’t show my face in school for a month. I was so embarrassed. I fail at everything that I do. I can’t even walk home without tripping over the sidewalk cracks. ”
God: “But you aren’t a failure. In fact, you are a brave and mighty warrior for Me. You have regular quiet times where we talk. I really enjoy those times. I chose you because you have great character and integrity and also because you are a very humble person. Humility to Me is big, really big. I know that you help older ladies cross the streets. You help lost puppy dogs find their owners. You respect your parents. You help your little bro out with his homework. I know your heart. I see you for who I created you to be and you are huge in My eyes. I watch you everyday and smile at you. Don’t worry, I’ll be there with you. And if you follow all My instructions, I will give you success.”
Fred: “Okay, if this is really You and not a dream, could You make my sister disappear for a week so I can have some peace and quiet? Heh, Heh!! Kidding!! Actually, if you could give me a sign, an obvious one, then I could believe that this is what you want me to do. Okay, I got it!! Tomorrow morning, if You could make breakfast for me, then I would be convinced it’s really You. I don’t mean a bowl of cold cereal in milk. I mean a real breakfast, like a stack of 5 pancakes, some bacon and . . . and . . . Uh. . . A piece of chocolate cake. Okay, God??”
God: “Okay!! That’s reasonable.”
Next morning Fred wakes up to the smell of bacon. He throws on his clothes and rushes downstairs. To his amazement, he finds a real breakfast all ready for him, just like he asked for. And the weird thing is his mom and dad were still in bed. It was Saturday.
Fred: “Okay God, I get it. I’ll do it. . . tomorrow morning.”
God: “Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to pick some of your friends and go and talk to them.”
Fred: “What?? You mean you don’t want me to go down there and bust them up and show them whose boss?”
God: “No, I just want you to go and talk to them. Don’t worry. I’ll give you the words to say.”
Fred: “Okay, whatever you say.”
Next morning Fred grabs 15 of his friends and waits for God’s instructions.
God: “Fred.”
Fred: “Yeah, God?”
God: “Why do you have so many friends?”
Fred: “Because the Terrible Tweebs are big and they are mean and they are uuuuuuuuugly. I need all the help I can get.”
God: “I guess you missed the part where I told you that I’ll be there with you.”
Fred: “Yeah, but. . .”
God: “No ‘buts’. I want you to pick 5 of your friends. That way you won’t get a big head about the victory I’m about to give you.”
Fred: “Yikes, that’s not very many. How do I choose?”
God: “I want you tell them to go and get a drink of water outside. Those that drink out of the birdbath, send them home. Those that drink out of the hose, you keep.”
Fred: “Okay.”
God: “Fred, did you do it?”
Fred: “Yeah, God, it’s done. Five of them left. They were sort of sick after they drank out of the birdbath anyway.”
God: “That’s still too many. Here’s how we’ll narrow it down. Play a game of ‘Simon says’ and the 3 that are still standing are the ones you can take with you.”
Fred: “Okay. . . . . . . . . . . Done.”
God: “Okay, now I want you to head to the Terrible Tweebs’ Hide out with your 3 friends and talk to them. I want you to take a big boom box and the “Satellite” CD from P.O.D.”
Fred: “Huh??? I don’t get it?
”
God: “When you get to their hideout, I want you to play ‘Youth of a Nation” really, really loud. Make sure they can hear the part where all those kids sing, ‘We are, we are, youth of the nation.”
Fred: “OH!! I get it. They will think that I’ve brought hundreds of my friends and they will be really freaked. Very cool!! God, you da man!!”
God: “Thanks!! Okay now get going.”
This story is getting too long and my fingers are getting tired of typing, so I’ll tell you how it ends. Fred and his 3 friends went down to the hideout of the Terrible Tweebs and play the POD CD. They were totally freaked and thought that they were really busted. They were so scared that they were willing to listen to Fred and do anything he wanted them to do. They thought he was the leader of a huge gang. Fred told them to stop torturing those helpless little flies. They promised never to tie up their little wings again.
Now, we don’t have conversations like this with God and we can’t ask Him to fix us breakfast but God allows us to have doubts. He knows our weaknesses and our fears. This doesn’t mean, though, that He likes it when we chicken out of doing things that He wants us to do.
This week we will be studying about a man named Gideon. Gideon is one of the less-known studly Christians who God used in a mighty way. He was actually one of Israel’s judges. Betcha didn’t know that? I sort of relate to Gideon, in that he felt small in light of who he was, from a human point of view. But of course, God has an entirely different view of us. It’s just that most of the time we can’t see us the way He sees us.
Let’s take a look at Gideon and his circumstances. Go to the Old Testament to the book of Judges (go to Psalms and then take a left). Are you there yet? When you get to Judges, go to chapter 6. Now I want you to read verses 1-6? What did Israel do?
Monday
What was God’s response to what Israel did?
Sounds like the Midianites were mean. God very often used other groups of people to punish Israel for not following His commandments. How many times have you not obeyed God and then He brings something into your life where you have to cry out to Him for Help? If you are like me, it happens quite often.
So based on these 6 verses, what kind of life do you think Gideon was having?
How do you think that affected his attitude towards life and God?
Read verses 11 and 12 (Ch. 6). Who appears to Gideon?
Who is “The Angel of the Lord”?
What did The Angel of the Lord call Gideon?
What can you tell about Gideon from what he was called by The Angel?
Tuesday
Yesterday we saw that The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be in Gideon’s shoes. . . Er. . . I mean sandals. Imagine going about your everyday routine feeling down, maybe feeling lousy about yourself and then suddenly an angel appears to you. I imagine that you’d be pretty freaked. You’d probably lose your Lunchable on the spot. Read Judges 6:13 and write down how Gideon was feeling about life in general.
So he wasn’t feeling too pumped about life. So God gives Gideon a command. Read verse 14. What did God command Gideon to do?
So how do you think Gideon felt about the idea of going up against the Terrible Tweebs. . . Uh. . . I mean the Midianites? (Read verses 15)
Sometimes when God gives us something to do, like live an extreme Christian life, we think that we won’t have the strength to do the thing He asked us to do. We need to remember that God never expects us to do anything on our own strength. Just like Gideon, we need to have faith and obey while relying on Him. Gideon assumed that his weaknesses and limitations would prevent God from working. Moses did the same thing and God got a little hacked at him. Gideon, like each of us, always has some lame excuse why we can’t or won’t obey God. “AHHHH!! God, I can’t spend time in the Bible. I sprained my finger turning the pages and it hurts soooo bad.” or “Hey God, why don’t you ask someone else who is more qualified.” or “God, you have no idea how busy I am. Please don’t add any more to my schedule”. Imagine trying to update God on our current situation. Like He doesn’t know everything about us already. How lame is that? There is nothing sweeter to God than someone obeying Him without question. We sing a song that has to do with obedience to Him. Why do we or should we obey Him? (Think about the words in the song “I’ll Obey”.)
Gideon is feeling very inadequate for the job and God knows that. So God makes a promise to Gideon in verse 16. What’s the promise?
Read verses 17 and 18. What was Gideon’s request and why did he make that request?
Monday
Gideon picks an army
Let's get to the heart of Gideon's story. Read Judges 7:1-3. How big was Gideon's army in the beginning?
What was God's response to Gideon's army?
Verse 2 is really key as to why God wanted to whittle down Gideon's army. During the process of getting the right army, God tells Gideon that his army was too big. In what ways did God use to shrink the size of the army?
Can you imagine what Gideon was thinking when God kept telling him that his army was too big? Gideon was already afraid even when he had a huge army. I imagine that Gideon's stress level went up in a hurry when God told him that he was to attack using only 300 men.
Finally, in verse 9 of chapter 7, God tells Gideon to go to the Midianite camp and take them because God has already given them victory. In the New Living Translation, it says that God said, "I have you victory." I like that translation because I think it gives a true picture of God. What does that say about God? (This answer is not obvious and maybe you can’t answer it, but I want you to struggle with this question.)
Read Judges 7:10-14. I think God knew that Gideon was still afraid of doing what God asked him to do. But God understands us in our weaknesses and allows us to be a little scared. Sometimes God asks us to do some really tough things. I don't know if there are any Christians who aren't at least a little afraid to step out of their comfort zones. What does God say to Gideon that he should do to calm his fears?
Did it help Gideon to be more confident that God was in this plan?
Thursday
Attack
Gideon assembles his army again and tells them it's time to attack. Read verses 15-22 of chapter 7. Describe what Gideon told his army people how they were to attack and what they were to use during the attack.
What was the phrase that all of the men in the army were to shout during the attack?
Why do you suppose they were commanded to yell this phrase?
What weapons did Gideon’s army use to defeat the Midianites?
Well, it looks like God pulled this victory out. Good guys win, bad guys lose again.
What’s up with the weapons that Gideon’s army used? Why do you suppose they used clay pots and torches and horns?
Friday
Good Guys 1, Bad guys 0
Well, chalk one up for the good guys. The bad guys got toasted again because Gideon stepped out in faith. God honored Gideon’s willingness to step out in faith by giving him a huge victory. Fast forward to chapter 8 and read verse 22. How did the Israelites respond to Gideon and his huge success in defeating the Midianites?
Now, this victory could have gone to Gideon’s head. After all, he had just delivered his people from a very oppressive people. The Midianites were tormenting them all the time. I’m sure there was very little hope left in God’s people because of the way the Midianites treated them. Read verse 23 of chapter 8. This verse shows just what kind of character Gideon has. How did Gideon respond to the people?
Gideon recognized God’s sovereignty. How many times do we doubt that God is truly in control of everything, including those who don’t believe in Him? We do it on a daily basis. Why do you think we go from believing God can do anything one day and the next day we have huge doubts about Him?
Faith is a weird thing. I think that faith can thrive where there is doubt. In fact, if you didn’t doubt now and then, I
don’t think your faith would grow very much. I’m sure that Gideon’s faith grew a whole lot after he defeated the Midianites.
Want to stretch your faith????? Say “Yes” to God next time He wants you to step out of your comfort zone.
Saturday
So What??
I think most of us can relate to Gideon and his “Who, Me?” kind of faith. When God asks us to step out of our comfort zones, it’s a scary thing. Sometimes it’s very scary. Sometimes we react the same way that Gideon did. “Who, Me? God, are you talking to me?? There are many people who are much more qualified than I am. Why did you pick me? I’m nothing. Maybe you were thinking about someone else and accidentally picked me. I’m sure you could find someone who would be better at this job than me.” Our excuses could go on and on. Each of us are experts at finding ways why we can’t do something.