Sharing from the WORD

While reading Judges this week, one thing that stood out to me was God's patience towards Gideon in Chapter 6. God calls Gideon to save Israel from the rule of Midian, but Gideon has difficulty believing God. Because he is skeptical, Gideon decides to put God through a series of tests to prove that He is actually God.

My initial reaction was to be stunned by Gideon's bravery. He wasn't afraid to openly question God and His plan, which seems like it could have angered God. However, what struck me was that God did not get angry with Gideon; instead, God patiently performed every miracle that Gideon asked him to.

This was surprising to me because I personally had trouble believing that God could be okay with Gideon asking him to perform all these miracles. The way I saw it, Gideon was questioning God's authority, and God was passively yielding to all of Gideon's requests. This picture didn't make sense to me until I considered God's greater purpose for us.

God wants us to be in an honest, loving relationship with him. If we are not honest and try to hide different doubts or thoughts from God, then it is harmful to the relationship. Gideon is not trying to make God his magician; he is only trying to make sure that he can trust God. This step is important in any relationship because without establishing trust, the relationship cannot grow. In this way, when we have nagging doubts or skepticisms, instead of trying to hide those thoughts from God, we should openly voice our questions. Then, we can receive answers from leaders, peers, or the Word of God, and we can move forward in our relationship with God, much like Gideon did.