The Midianites grazed their cattle
        on Israel's farmlands
They stole anything they wanted
        from the Israelites

Gideon grew up in that environment
        of fear
        frustration 
        and poverty

Yet he knew the stories
        about glorious days long ago
        when God had done miraculous deeds
        to save his forefathers

But one look outside his door told him
God was no where in sight now

Then an angel addressed Gideon as a "mighty man of valor!"
        now that was a totally new thought!
        Gideon considered himself anything but
It took a little time
        but Gideon did become strong in the Lord.

                                FEARFUL OR MIGHTY?
                   Will the real Gideon please stand up.
                                          Judges 6

    So the land had rest for forty years. 1Then the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.  So the Lord delivered
them into the hand of Midian for seven years, 2and the children
of Israel made for themselves dens, caves, and strongholds
in the mountains.  3So it was, whenever Israel had sown,
Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of
the East would come up against them.  4They would encamp
against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as
Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor
ox nor donkey.  5They would come up with livestock and tents,
as numerous as locusts, and enter the land to destroy it.  6So
Israel was greatly impoverished and cried out to the Lord.
    11Now the Angel of the Lord came 12and appeared to
Gideon and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty
man of valor!"  13Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the Lord
is with us, why then has all this happened to us?  And where
are all His miracles which our fathers told us about?  But
now the Lord has forsaken us."  14Then the Lord turned to
him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save
Israel from the hand of the Midianites.  Have I not sent you?"
    15So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel?
My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my
father's house."  16The Lord said, "Surely I will be with you,
and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man."
    25The Lord said, "Tear down the altar of Baal that your
father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it;
26and build an altar to the Lord."  27So Gideon took ten men
from among his servants and did as the Lord had said.  But
because he feared his father's household, he did it by night.
    36So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my
hand--37look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor;
if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground,
then I shall know that You will save Israel as You have said."
38And it was so.  When he rose early the next morning and
squeezed the fleece together, he wrung out a bowlful of water.
39Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me, but
let me test, once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only
on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew."  40And
God did so that night.  It was dry on the fleece only, but there
was dew on all the ground.
             _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

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The Bible Condensed. From Genesis to Revelation (Old Testament and New Testament)
in 365 daily readings plus commentary. This Bible reading plan will help you read the Bible
from beginning end, as one continuous story.