Read text. Pray.
We’ve been talking about blind spots for a few weeks now. What immediately comes to mind when you hear the term blind spots? Driving, right? One of the first things you’re taught is to scan the horizon and check your mirrors so you know what’s around you. Even with that, before changing lanes, you still need to turn your head and check your blind spot- that area where a car may have been hiding just out of sight.
We also seem to have some emotional blind spots in our lives, areas that we overlook, try to hide, or maybe have buried so deep we’re not even aware of them. We need to look over our shoulder, check what we may have missed, and work on those emotional blind spots. Today, we’re going to talk about fear.
I consulted my very own sermon illustration experts (at least that’s how the guys at McDonald’s like to think of themselves) about this topic. I asked them what fears they might have. Their list included things like fear of God, death, and being left out at the second coming. They expressed concerns about the political climate of our nation- what will be left for their children and grandchildren. They’re bothered by the constant barrage of bad news in the media. Others have expressed a fear of financial struggles, marital conflict, medical diagnosis, keeping up with expectations and the hustle and bustle of life, or even failure. Someone was even telling me about the fear they have of receiving a phone call that their child has been involved in a car accident.
If we’re not careful, these fears can overwhelm us and control our life choices. They become the first thing on our mind when we wake up, our last thought as we go to sleep. That’s actually where we find Israel in our text. They had abandoned God for false idols and God gave them over to the Midianites for 7 years.
This is when the Angel of the Lord took a seat under a terebinth tree on the land that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite- who just happened to be Gideon’s father. Nearby, Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press, a very odd place to be doing this work. You see, back then, people would gather the wheat stalks on a blanket and toss them up in the air. The wind would catch the lighter chaff and blow it away as the grain would fall to the ground. A wine press is typically in a pit. There would be little to no wind to blow the chaff away. I’ve always preferred to work smarter, not harder, so choosing a wine press doesn’t make much sense.
Gideon, however, was operating out of fear. They’d been oppressed for seven years and, being harvest time, Midian would soon be coming through to reap the benefits of Israel’s hard work. Gideon was hoping to thresh his wheat without being spotted, preserving some food for his family. Now, not many of us have lived through oppression and it may be hard for us to imagine what it would be like to have to fear someone taking away even our basic needs.
There’s an animated movie called A Bug’s Life that might draw the picture for us. In the beginning, the ants are gathering seeds to store for winter. However, the grasshoppers were oppressing the ants and required they prepare an offering of food before gathering their own food. The queen ant told a well-meaning Flick, “It’s the same year after year, they come, they eat, they leave. That’s our lot in life. It’s not a lot, but it’s our life.” Moments later, the ants sound the siren that the grasshoppers are on their way and scramble to hide in the anthill as the grasshoppers collect their food. In the scramble to hide, Flick knocks the entire collection of food into the river and it’s washed away.
Hopper, the leader of the grasshoppers, was irate as he confronted the ants in their home. Most of the ants didn’t realize the food was gone and the princess tries to assure Hopper they had done their part and now needed to collect the needed food for their colony. Hopper informed the princess, “It’s a bug eat bug world, now let me tell you how things are supposed to work. The sun grows the food, the ants get the food, the grasshoppers eat the food.” He then “graciously” gives the ants one more chance to gather food for the grasshoppers before the rainy season begins. Because the ants didn’t realize the strength they had in their numbers, they were living in fear.
That was how Gideon and all of Israel had been living for seven years! They had turned to false idols, had forgotten that God was their source of strength, and had lived in fear of the Midianite oppression. It’s in that circumstance that the Angel of the Lord reveals Himself to Gideon. (read Judges 6:12)
Who was this Angel? Some look at this text and believe He may have been a pre-incarnate Christ. The passage begins by saying the Angel of the Lord sat under the tree, but when He speaks with Gideon, it simply says “the LORD” spoke to Gideon, using the name of God. So whether this angel was the Christ or whether this angel was simply that, an angel- I am amazed at how God views people. Time after time, He has demonstrated that while man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
Noah was a drunk, God saw the man who would keep the world afloat. Abraham was an old man with a barren wife, God saw the father of many nations. Moses had a speech impediment, God saw the deliverer of His people. David was a murderous adulterer, God saw a man after His own heart- a king even. Gideon was living in fear, God saw a mighty man of valor. He didn’t just look at what they’d done, He looked at what they could be. How reassuring is that!
This angel reassures Gideon that God is with him, but Gideon is just not buying it. (read Judges 6:13) Gideon is caught up in his circumstances, he looks around at the wheat in his wine press, and he just can’t see it. Look around, do you see where we are? I’ve heard all the wonderful stories of what God has done to save His people, but look at us now, where has He gone? We actually see this play out throughout the book of Judges- Israel seems to be caught up in this cycle. They get caught up in sin and pursue false gods. God sends an oppressor until the people repent. Then He sends a judge to deliver His people and they find themselves in a time of peace until they again pursue false gods.
The angel continues as if Gideon hasn’t even said a word. (read Judges 6:14) Go in this might of yours, save Israel, do not I send you? I kind of picture this look on His face- do you not hear the words that are coming out of my mouth? I AM WITH YOU. I am God, I’m telling you to go to battle and save your nation. You will succeed because you’ll be following my orders.
Gideon begins to sound a bit like Moses making excuses. (read Judges 6:15) Who am I that you’d send me? I’m the least of a small family of the smallest clan of the smallest tribe (half-tribe, if you want to get technical about it)- Manasseh. Gideon is still caught up in only seeing what’s in front of him. Surely there’s somebody better suited for this job- a military leader with plenty of experience who knows how to plan battle strategy.
God’s answer is simple. (read Judges 6:16) I will be with you. You see, I believe that God chose Gideon to command the Israelite army because by choosing such a “small” man, when the victory happens, the people of Israel will recognize how big their God is.
Gideon continues to put forth tests to be reassured that this plan really was of God. He brings food to the angel who has him set it out like an offering. The angel consumes the food with fire and vanishes. Then Gideon sets out a fleece and asks that God cause the morning dew to make the fleece wet and the ground dry. God does exactly that. So Gideon sets the fleece back out and asks God to make the fleece dry and the ground wet. God did exactly that.
Gideon gathers the troops of Israel, over 32,000 men- God tells him that’s too many and send home any soldier who has the slightest twinge of fear. Only 10,000 men remained, but God told Gideon that’s still too many- send the men to the river for a water break. He then told Gideon to send home the men who stuck their heads down to the water and keep only the men who scooped up water and lapped it from their hands- a whopping total of 300!
Following God’s strategy, God led this army of 300 men to victory over the Midianite army of 135,000. In fact, this man who was found hiding in a wine press because of fear, is later listed in the chapter I refer to as the Hall of Faith. (read Hebrews 11:32-34)
Now, right about now, you may be thinking, “That’s great for Gideon, it worked out really well for him, but what about me? I’ve been going through various struggles, met with failures, prayed for healing, poured into my marriage, and I’m done trying. Just leave me alone in my wine press!” In fact, I’ve recently had a similar discussion with Yoslen. I’ve given him a few rides this week so he could help prepare for the clothing giveaway. One of those mornings, he made the comment, “I’m amazed at how many people believe in God without ever actually seeing Him.” He brought up how someone had asked him how can we know God is real when we can’t see Him. I shared with him about Doubting Thomas, how when Jesus first appeared to the disciples Thomas wasn’t with them. He refused to believe that Jesus was alive unless he saw the healed wounds himself. When Jesus appeared again, Thomas was there and declares his worship. Jesus told him he believed because he saw, blessed are those who believe without seeing- that’s us. In addition, God gave us the Bible so we can know Him without having to see Him.
There’s a newer song on the radio that I’ve enjoyed recently called How Can You Not. At the end, there’s a choir responding to the questions she sings and it concludes like this:
Oh, how can you not see God (everything is evidence)
In every little thing, in every little moment? (Showing me that You exist)
How can you not feel loved? (All creation singing)
How can you not? How can you not? (Hallelujah)
'Cause He's in the middle of (everything is evidence)
Every little thing and every little moment (showing me that You exist)
How can you not see God? (All creation singing)
How can you not? How can you not?
It worked out for Gideon, but what about us? When we’re faced with fear, how should we as Christians respond? Let me begin by saying that having to deal with fear in and of itself is not a sin, but our response might be. Do we allow it to consume us or do we use our fear as a harness to draw closer to God? Think of it this way- which would be the greater definition of failure? 1- To step out in faith and having things not play out as you hoped. 2- To miss an opportunity to step into a deeper union with God due to your fear.
I believe David gave us an excellent tool for dealing with our fear when he wrote Psalm 23. (read vs 1-3) The first step is to recognize God’s presence. He cares for us like a shepherd. Frankly, sheep are rather dumb animals and they need a shepherd there with them. That’s why David mentions that God makes him lie down in green pastures, keeps him by the still waters, leads him down the paths of righteousness.
(read v 4) The second step is to depend on God’s provision. Even when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he didn’t have to fear evil. Why? God’s rod and staff comforted him, he knew God was protecting him.
(read vs 5-6) The third step is to enter into God’s peace. David says that God prepares a table in the presence of his enemies. Can you imagine feeling secure enough to sit and eat in front of your enemies? Even better, goodness and mercy will follow. The best line- I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We don’t have to fear because we know the end of the story.
Are you ready to set aside your fear and take a step forward in faith? You need to continually put your trust in God. I came across the story of a couple who was invited for a weekend getaway with the husband’s boss and his wife. The wife was excited at the thought of a luxurious weekend with no worries. As they were walking into a 5-star restaurant, she noticed the boss stopped and picked up a penny off the sidewalk, looked at it a minute, then put it in his pocket. This man was well off, why would he, of all people, need to pick up a penny? The thought nagged at her throughout the meal and she could contain herself no longer as they were eating dessert. She asked the boss, “You’re obviously a very well off man who can afford the finer things in life, yet I noticed you stopped to pick up a penny as we were walking in. Why?” The boss smiled at her and handed her the penny. “What does it say on the penny?” “United States of America. “No, no, further down.” “1985.” “Look to the left.” “In God we trust.” “Exactly, so every time I see a penny, I stop to pick it up and I take a minute to pause and think, ‘Am I trusting God?’ and then I say a short pray asking God to help me trust Him more. It’s an excellent reminder that I believe God left in my path so I don’t forget.”
How about you? Where do you put your trust? Is your trust in God? Maybe today you can pray the same prayer as that boss and ask God to help you trust Him more. Maybe today you’ve realized you’ve not put your trust in God and it’s time. If that’s you, we’d like to offer this time of invitation for you to come forward and be baptized, putting your trust in God.
Invitation
