Would you consider yourself a deep person? A fascinating person? Something that has always amazed me is the way that many of the people we meet in the Bible don't have pages/chapters of story, yet we are able to establish a connection with them, feel like we get to know them on a real personal level, and learn from them. Whether you talk about Esau, Laban, Esther's cousin Mordecai, Saul's son and David's best friend Jonathan, or Lydia of the purple cloth, even the brief interactions we have with them are enlightening. Recently I took a devotional tour through the book of Judges, which again features different people briefly, sharing their story as they help free the Israelites from whatever trouble they fell into. One of those Judges was a man named Gideon who God called to help free the Israelites from the Midianites. God sends Gideon to defeat and destroy the Midianites, but like any wise person who knew that he and his team were probably outnumbered, Gideon has some cold feet. But finally after some back and forth with God and gathering up the troops, under the cover of darkness Gideon sneaks up to the camp of the Midianites to listen in on what's going on. This is what happens:
"Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, "I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!" His companion answered, "Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!" When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, "Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!" Judges 7:13-15
As exciting as it is to be given a big leadership position, as exciting as it is to have a big responsibility given to you from God, we're still human and we can struggle with very natural fears and let doubts and insecurities creep in (that's something that we see throughout the Bible with many people who God called). But in this passage we see God again reassuring Gideon that He is in charge, He does have a plan and He will be with Gideon and his team as they fight the Midianites and will help them win.
What does this mean for each of us? That it's more than OK to need confirmation from God about the direction to take in your life, and it's more than OK to receive confirmation from God. Yes, sometimes God asks us to do something on faith or with faith and not with a lot of evidence or direction. But quite often you'll see that if you need a little nudge, direction, assurance, reassurance, or confirmation from God, He's willing to send it your way. What confirmations has God shared with you recently?
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