Stay close to God in victories and failures alike
One thing about the Bible that never ceases to amaze me is how surprisingly human its main characters are. As we read our favourite stories, it’s not just about epic battles and victories, but we witness the personal transformations our heroes of faith have gone through.
In the story of Gideon, we observe how he starts as an insecure boy with low self-esteem who constantly second-guesses his calling and God’s promises. He’s a people-pleaser who secretly executes God’s command to break down the town’s idols at night to avoid conflict (Judges 6).
Over time, we see Gideon transform into a brave army commander, leading a group of just 300 soldiers into victory against an enemy too numerous to count (Judges 7). He also showed excellent conflict resolution skills when confronted by angry Ephraimites (Judges 8:1-3) and great humility when he declined the Israelites request to become their king, reminding them that God alone is their ruler (Judges 8:23).
However, Gideon’s human and flawed side can be witnessed once again when he uses the spoils of his plunder to create an ephod that then becomes an idol (Judges 8:27). The man who started his “career” by demolishing his father’s idols ends up making one himself!
The story of Gideon, just like that of King David, Moses, and many others, reminds us that no matter how mightily someone is used by God, none of us are immune to human failure.
We ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and temptation lurks around every corner.
That’s why it’s so important to:
- Stay close to God–in victories and failures alike
- Run towards Him, not away from Him–when you inevitably mess up.
- Put your trust in God alone–not in people, no matter how godly, spiritual or powerful they might seem.
May this song encourage you today.
