Welcome back to the Upside Down Series! To read our previous entry please click here.
Growing up I used to doubt my very own shadow. I wasn’t sure if I was good enough or if I would be able to accomplish what I would set my mind to. I didn’t think God would want to use me and even thought I was damaged goods. I felt in many ways like the beginning of the story of Gideon in Judges 6-8. In this story the timid farmer becomes the commander over the Israelites. When it seems like God can’t use us, He shows up and defeats a whole army for us.
We too can turn doubt and fear upside down like Gideon by remembering this:
1) Have Faith During Uncertainty
When we first learn about Gideon, we would never imagine what God would accomplish through him. We see a timid and doubtful man that is afraid to move out of his comfort zone. He witnessed how the whole town idolized local gods and got attacked by the Midianites every seven years. Gideon was weak and couldn’t fight back. He doubted if God was really choosing him to fight for Israel.
In those moments of weakness is exactly where God comes and meets us. It’s in those places where we are comfortable, and I would even go as far as to say with a stationary mindset. In Judges 6:16, God reminds Gideon that is not alone and that with faith he can do incredible things. The verse says, “The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”” Here God is assuring Gideon to have faith during the uncertain times that he is about to go through. Just like with Gideon, God is constantly turning doubt upside down and assuring us to have faith in Him.
“Just like with Gideon, God is constantly turning doubt upside down and assuring us to have faith in Him.”
2) Face the Facts
After God called Gideon, He told Gideon to face the facts and address the mistakes the people of Israel had made. They were idolizing a different god and had forgotten everything that God had done for them. Gideon was hesitant but trusted the Lord and obeyed every command. God was faithful to Gideon and unlocked the blessing that He had in store for him.
We too can forget the truths that God has spoken over our life sometimes. We too forget that He took us out of Egypt time and time again. The phrase “check yourself” comes to mind. Basically, this phrase cautions us to beware of our actions and thoughts and make sure we are accountable for everything that we do. In Judges 6:26, God asks Gideon to face the mistakes of Israel and rectify those action by saying “Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height.” God asked Gideon to redeem his people and face the mistake they made. Even as God could’ve left the people of Israel, He decided to stay with them amidst their current situation and protect them due to Gideon’s desire to face the facts.
“God asked Gideon to redeem his people and face the mistake they made.”
3) Move from Thought into Action
After slimming Gideon’s army down to 300 men, God was ready to move from planning to doing. God knew that He could work a miracle with the minimum amount of people so that the testimony would be told about God’s greatness and not about the strength of man. Gideon’s army went from 30,000 to 300 overnight and this is when God was ready to move forward.
In Judges 7:9, God moves Gideon to move from thought into action. The verse says, “During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.” They had been planning a way to attack and Gideon still doubted how to defeat his enemy, so God encouraged him. God is working for us, encouraging us to pursue Him and obey His commands. He is facilitating our path so that we may move from thought into action.
“God is working for us, encouraging us to pursue Him and obey His commands.”
Thank you for being here and I hope you enjoyed this! Please reach out to me if there’s anything I can pray for you about. Much love and remember God is always working!