Walking by Faith: Gideon – When God Calls the Insecure

He was threshing wheat in a winepress—hiding from the enemy when the angel of the Lord

called him “a mighty man of valor.” 

It sounded absurd. 

Gideon didn’t feel strong. He didn’t feel brave. He didn’t even believe God was paying attention to his people anymore. And yet, God chose him to deliver Israel from the powerful Midianites. 

Gideon’s story isn’t about fearless leadership. It’s about fear that obeys anyway. It’s about insecurity that submits to God’s strength. And it shows us that walking by faith often begins in a place of weakness. 

Fear in the Winepress 

The book of Judges describes a bleak season in Israel’s history. The people had turned away from God, and as a result, they were oppressed by the Midianites. These invaders devastated crops, destroyed livestock, and left the Israelites in hiding. 

Gideon was one of those hiding—threshing wheat not on a hilltop where the wind could help, but in a winepress below ground, where he wouldn’t be seen. 

That’s where the angel of the Lord found him and spoke these shocking words: 

“The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor” (Judg. 6:12). 

Gideon’s response? Sarcasm and doubt: 

“Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (v. 13) 

He didn’t feel like a deliverer. He didn’t even feel heard. 

God’s Calling Doesn’t Depend on Confidence 

Despite Gideon’s hesitation, the Lord didn’t back down. He said: 

“Go in this might of yours and save Israel… Do I not send you?” (v. 14) 

Gideon immediately pointed to his inadequacies. He was from the weakest clan in Manasseh. He was the youngest in his family. He didn’t see how someone like him could be used by God. 

But God doesn’t base His call on human strength. He answers simply: 

“But I will be with you” (v. 16). 

That was the promise Gideon needed. Not that he was strong—but that God would be. 

Testing and Obedience 

Even after this divine encounter, Gideon struggled. He asked God for a sign. Then another. Then another. 

First, fire consumed his offering (Judg. 6:21). Later, he laid out a fleece and asked God to make it wet while the ground stayed dry. Then he reversed the request—dry fleece, wet ground (vv. 36–40). 

Some criticize Gideon for demanding proof. But Scripture shows us a God who is patient with fear. God answered each request, not to indulge Gideon, but to grow his faith step by step. 

And when the time came, Gideon obeyed. 

He tore down his father’s altar to Baal. He gathered an army. And he marched into the assignment he once thought impossible. 

Strength in Small Numbers 

Gideon started with 32,000 men—but God said that was too many. After two reductions, Gideon was left with 300 men to face an enemy “like locusts in number” (Judg. 7:12). 

God didn’t want Israel to boast in their strength. He wanted them to see His hand clearly. 

The plan was unconventional. Gideon’s men carried trumpets, torches, and jars. No swords. No chariots. Just a battle cry and a moment of obedience. 

“A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (v. 20) 

The Midianites turned on each other in panic. Gideon’s tiny band of soldiers watched as God won the battle. 

What Gideon’s Journey Means for Ours 

You may feel like Gideon—unqualified, unnoticed, overwhelmed by your own weakness. You may be hiding in your own version of a winepress, hoping to avoid conflict, responsibility, or risk. 

God still speaks into places like that. He doesn’t call us because we’re ready. He calls us because He is. 

Your fear doesn’t disqualify you. Your doubt doesn’t cancel your calling. What matters is your willingness to respond, however small the step may be. 

Faith grows as we move forward with what we have—especially when what we have feels like not enough. 

Final Encouragement 

Gideon didn’t start with courage. He started with fear and questions. But he finished with faith. 

That’s the invitation to each of us: to trust that God is bigger than our insecurities. To believe that His power is made perfect in our weakness. And to obey, even when we still feel unsure. 

Because walking by faith means saying yes when we’d rather say no—and trusting God to do what only He can.