The way God works

Have you ever found yourself wondering how God works, or why He does the things that He does? Before going much further, let me clarify that I am not about to answer those questions for you. God is a mystery, and much of His glory (not to mention His mercy) is wrapped up in the unknown. Any part He chooses to reveal to us is a gift and a grace that is undeserved. Still, I couldn’t help but start the conversation with you today based on the treasures I have unearthed in Scripture these past few days.

My study of the life and story of Gideon over the past several weeks has been surprisingly fascinating. Let me tell you why. For starters, the man only has three chapters of Scripture that highlight his life, so he is one that I have, in the past, quickly read over and moved on without much thought. This is why I LOVE in-depth Bible study because you dig up every little detail and chew on it until there’s nothing left to taste. You’re able to savor each and every bite. So for weeks now, I have poured over these three short chapters in the book of Judges, and in my study tonight, I had an “ah ha!” moment. Take a moment to read over the four verses below.

Judges 6:15
“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.”

1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 12:22
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

If you’re not familiar with the story of Gideon, let me give you the abbreviated version. Israel was in trouble and constantly being attacked by the Midianites. God chose to use Gideon, and as you can see from Judges 6:15, he was a very unlikely candidate to lead Israel to victory over their mighty enemy. That’s what hit me. God uses weak, broken, seemingly unfit people for the job, because then He receives the glory and man does not. Right?

I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by this truth as I am presently sitting on a heap of personal insecurities.

“I’m not good enough.”

“What if I fail?”

“Look at everyone else around me that is doing so much better than I am!”

And the list goes on. We all struggle with the big, ugly “I” word: insecurity. What a marvelous truth it is, then, that God is not limited by our limitations. Rather, He chooses those who are weak in and of themselves to showcase His glory through a life surrendered. That was Gideon. That could be you. That could be me. Do you want to know the way God works? He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) His power is perfected in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Feeling weak? Feeling unable? Feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand? God is able, my friend. He uses weak people. In fact, He takes great delight in it.