God Sees Strength In Us Where We See Weakness

Story of Gideon

For seven years, the Midianites terrorized the Israelites. Every time Israel planted their crops, the Midianites would sweep in from the east like locusts. They consumed the harvest and wiped out the livestock all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.

The once-brave Israelites were forced to hide like animals in mountain caves and dens until the threat passed. Humbled and desperate, Israel finally cried out to God for deliverance.

In the town of Ophrah, a frightened farmer named Gideon was hiding in a winepress. He was threshing (separating) grain in secret, hoping the enemies wouldn’t notice him.

Suddenly, an angel of God appeared and greeted him as a “mighty man of valor” (a brave, heroic warrior). The angel told him that God was with him.

Gideon was confused. He wondered why, if God was with them, they were suffering so much. He asked where God’s famous miracles were.

Instead of reminding Gideon that Israel’s own rebellion caused their suffering, the angel announced that God was going to rescue them—and that Gideon would lead the way. Gideon protested, claiming his family was the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh and that he was the least important person in his house. But God answered:

But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. — Judges 6:16

Although Gideon asked for signs to confirm this promise, he ultimately answered the call. Through God’s power, Gideon and his tiny, selective army broke the Midianite domination over Israel. You can read this amazing story in Judges 6 and 7.

The Strength in You

Sometimes we feel discouraged or even terrified by the spiritual and physical challenges around us. Just like Gideon, we quickly discount our own worth and wonder if God has forgotten us.

When this happens, we are facing a focus problem: we are focusing too much on ourselves and too little on God.

God Uses Weakness to Show His Strength

Gideon is just one of many Bible characters who served God despite their weaknesses. For example, when the apostle Paul begged God to remove a painful “thorn in the flesh,” God gave him this answer:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. — 2 Corinthians 12:9

What a beautiful truth! Paul’s physical limitation actually put God’s power on display. When we are weak, our Creator has the ability to work through us and show His strength. The most important lesson we can learn is that it is not about us; it is all about God.

God Empowers His Servants

Think of the countless unnamed believers who have followed God and changed history. In the first century, they took the gospel (good news of Christ) to the ends of the earth and “turned the world upside down” with the message of salvation.

When you feel like you do not have much to offer, remember that you are a vessel in God’s hands. He will accomplish His purposes, and He invites you to be a part of His plan.

Even the apostle Paul recognized that he was just a worker in God’s field. He planted, another watered, but God gave the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5-7). The ultimate success belongs to God.

When Paul describes the spiritual armor of a Christian in Ephesians 6, he stresses that our true strength comes from the Lord. A Christian backed by God’s power can face any challenge with confidence.

This is not pride; it is simply trusting that God can use us despite our flaws. God never commands us to do something without also giving us the power to complete it.

Do not worry about what you lack. Instead, take comfort in what God can do through you.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. — Philippians 4:13