Love That Never Fails

43. Small Steps

Starting a new job can be very daunting! There's so much to take in each day and you can often feel overwhelmed by all you need to learn and do.  Taking small steps,  one at a time,  is the only way ahead and we see this with Gideon as he attempts to take on the new role God has for him.

Doubts lingered in Gideon's mind. Had God chosen the right person for the job?Perhaps you can relate to this! Gideon needed reassurance and I love the way the Lord's messenger patiently listens and understands that Gideon is going to need a little convincing that He was really in the presence of the Lord. I guess that needing a visible sign was understandable, especially considering he had been surrounded by false gods for so long!

"Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you."

And the Lord said, "I will wait until you return."

Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth."

And Gideon did so. Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, "Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!"

But the Lord said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."

So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."
‭‭Judges‬ ‭6:17-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This was certainly a special moment for Gideon, when he finally realised that he was indeed in the presence of a real messenger of God! Fear was his initial reaction but God assured him he didn't need to be afraid.  What peace must have flooded his heart, encouraging him to make an altar to God!

You would imagine that this encounter should have been enough for Gideon but at this stage, he was just taking small steps in his faith. However, God had an important task for him to do next, that would definitely require him to step up in his faith!

"That same night the Lord said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering."

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! They asked each other, "Who did this?"

When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it."

The people of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."

But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar." So because Gideon broke down Baal's altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, "Let Baal contend with him.""
‭‭Judges‬ ‭6:25-32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fear had again gripped Gideon, causing him to choose the covering of night to tear down his father's altar to Baal and also the Asherah pole. However, despite knowing the trouble he could be in, this didn't stop Gideon from getting the job done!

Is there something that you know God is calling you to and yet you are afraid to fully commit yourself? In these troubled times, God needs us to step up and do our part in tearing down idols and taking a stand for the true Gospel. You can be sure that when you take such a step, God will bring you His wonderful peace.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
‭‭John‬ ‭14:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let's pray,

Heavenly Father,

I am so blessed to be able to come into Your Presence each day and to know that You are here with me, as Your Holy Spirit lives within me. Thank You for being so patient with me, as despite all of Your incredible resources, at times, I tend to hold back.

When I look back over my life, I can see that I have taken many small steps in my faith but I sense that You are calling me to step up and boldly serve You in these difficult times that our world is facing. Lord I want to serve You but sometimes I am afraid. Please help me to trust You and to faithfully serve You in whatever way You call me to.

Today I will put all my trust in You and look forward to that perfect peace that only You can give me.

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Amen.