A Spring of Joy

One of my favorite parts of the Gideon story in the Bible is when God shows him the Midianite camp. With only an army of 300 men, God told Gideon to go down against the Midianites. Then he said, “But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” 

Gideon went down with Purah because he was afraid. He went down and heard two Midianites talking about a dream and saw how it meant that God was going to give Midian into Gideon’s hand.

Do you see? Do you see the mercy and kindness of God? He didn’t lambast Gideon for his fear. He walked with Gideon in his fear and gave him the comfort he needed.

I love how Gideon’s encounter down at the camp ends: he bowed low in worship.  This is where it MUST go. If I do not bow low in worship, I will sit in my fear and shrink under the weight of the impossible, and I will be unable to do battle against the lies of the enemy.

He is kind. He is merciful. He is true. He is with us. I’m standing on the solid rock, even when all around me feels like shifting sands… clinging to His goodness—a goodness that is chasing after me all the days of my life in this fearfully and wonderfully made body.