Good morning. It’s Thursday, April 9th.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— Judges 6:12

Let’s just start with Gideon’s genealogy… because the Bible loves doing that.

In Judges 6:11 it says:

“The angel of the Lord came… in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite… where his son Gideon…”

So from this verse we know Gideon is the son of Joash the Abiezrite.

Joash is identified as “the Abiezrite” (Judges 6:11), meaning he belongs to the Abiezrite clan within Manasseh.

And Gideon even says this about where he comes from:

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 6:15)

So here’s how his story unfolds:

God calls Gideon and tells him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12), but Gideon questions it, asking why everything has gone wrong if God is really with them (Judges 6:13). Instead of explaining everything, God gives him a promise that He will be with him and that Gideon will defeat the Midianites (Judges 6:16).

Gideon still isn’t sure, so he asks for a sign to confirm it (Judges 6:17), and later even tests God with the fleece, asking for specific signs twice, and both times God answers exactly as he asked (Judges 6:36–40).

Before the battle even begins, God tells Gideon that he has too many men, because if they win, Israel might think they did it themselves (Judges 7:2). So God reduces the army down to just 300 men (Judges 7:6–7).

Then Gideon leads those 300 men with trumpets and jars, and without a normal fight, God causes the Midianites to turn on each other, and Israel wins (Judges 7:16–22).

After the victory, the Israelites want Gideon to rule over them, but he refuses and says, “The Lord will rule over you” (Judges 8:23).

But later, Gideon makes an ephod that becomes a snare to him and his family (Judges 8:27), and after he dies, Israel turns away from God again (Judges 8:33–35).

So we learn this from Gideon’s story: God can use you at your weakest, but trusting Him at your weakest is the hard part.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: God, You are with us even when we feel weak.

Confession: I doubt myself and struggle to trust You.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for still choosing and using me.

Supplication: Help me trust You even when I feel weak.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Come Alive (Dry Bones)” by Lauren Daigle

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See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God