Broken People. Big God. [Week 4]
Gideon – Judges 6:11-16 (ESV)
In week four of our “Broken People. Big God.”, series we’ll look at the life of Gideon in the book of Judges. If you’re new to the Bible or need a refresher on the timeline, the book of Judges is continuing the story of the Israelites, the nation who God began to develop through leaders like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Later, Israel would have leaders in the form of kings, like Saul and David. But, in between those two seasons the nation of Israel was led by Judges.
And when you hear “Judge”, don’t think of a judge in a courtroom today, instead think of military leaders ruling over specific portions of land and people. One of those judges was named Gideon. And while Gideon is often known for his courageous and miraculous military victory, you may not know that earlier in Gideon’s story, he is hiding and afraid. In fact, in Judges 6, God (through an angel) declares two profound truths to Gideon:
- The Lord is with you
- The Lord is going to use you
And Gideon disagrees with the angel on both!
You see, at this point in Gideon’s life, he was experiencing real brokenness, pain, and isolation. And in his perspective, God wasn’t with him and his people; instead, He had abandoned them. In Gideon’s perspective, God couldn’t use a broken and weak person like him. Gideon thought God needed someone else who was strong according to the world’s standards.
What we see with Gideon is often what we experience today. We tend to shape our perspective according to our circumstances instead of God’s character. We tend to measure our potential for impact according to our current predicament, instead of God’s eternal promises.
Join me Sunday as we discover how our big God can work mightily in broken people like Gideon… and us.
– Pastor Tim Birdwell