Encouragement
Judges 6, Hebrews 3
October 5, 2025
There’s a story about a farmer who planted bamboo seeds. After planting them, he watered them faithfully every day. Days and weeks went by and nothing grew. Month after month — nothing. His friends mocked him, telling him he was wasting his time.
But the farmer kept watering and believing. Then, after 2 years, something incredible happened. The bamboo suddenly broke through the ground — and within weeks, it was taller than his home. It grew to be 90 feet tall.
So, here’s the question ---- ---- ----
did the bamboo grow 90 feet in six months?
Or did it grow 90 feet in 2 years?
The truth is, during those hidden months, the roots were growing deep and strong, preparing for new life.
In the same way, encouragement reminds us that unseen growth is still real growth. God may be building roots in your life that you and maybe nobody else sees. Encouragement helps those roots to grow deeper and firmer.
Your faithfulness, your prayers, your perseverance. They aren’t wasted. As Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9 -
9 Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9
Some of you have been praying for years for a loved one, and you’re tempted to give up. Some of you have been walking faithfully in obedience but feel alone. Some of you are waiting for God to move in your situation, but He feels silent.
Friends, keep watering. Keep praying. Keep showing up. Keep encouraging. Because God is growing something beneath the surface that we cannot yet see.
Encouragement isn’t shallow cheerleading — it’s the deep reminder that unseen growth is still growth. And when God’s timing comes, the breakthrough may be bigger and faster than you ever imagined.
It’s so easy for us to give up on encouragement. That’s why I’ve been loving the story of Gideon more and more. It’s the basis for what we’re looking at right now.
The hope is that we will go deeper as we encourage one another in the name of Jesus. It’s so needed in our world. It’s needed in the church, it’s needed in our homes, in our schools and at the places we work.
Nobody is exempt. We all need encouragement and we all need to be encouragers.
Biblical encouragement is all about speaking life into someone in the name of Jesus.
And . . . who doesn’t need that? We need that everyday. That’s why the writer of Hebrews wrote - -
13 But encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
You’ve heard it before, how often are we to encourage?
EVERY! SINGLE! DAY! And the point of doing this isn’t just to accomplish a task, it’s because we need it. We’re under attack. It’s a daily onslaught by satan. He’s out to get each of us to pull away from God, to not believe in His promises.
That’s why the writer tells us - - - encourage so that none of you may be hardened ----- not just by sin, but by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is deceitful.
Those are powerful words from the writer of Hebrews. And it’s a direct reflection of the one who seeks to destroy us.
The writer gave us more info in the previous verse - -
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
That’s what happens when we’re not being encouraged in who God is calling us to be. We tend to fall away from the Living God. We allow evil to creep in. We allow the difficult times to overwhelm us and lead us to the wilderness.
We think we’re above it, we think ‘it’ll never happen to me.’ But it’s subtle the way it happens and our call is to encourage one another as we help build our spiritual resources so that we will not give in to the evil and have hardened hearts.
We see this in the biblical story we were looking at last week. The story is in Judges 6. We see this guy named Gideon. Israel is under attack. God has turned away from them because of their persistent sin and idol worship. They’ve forgotten their call and their roots. They’ve forgotten the story of how they were redeemed and saved from Egypt.
In the midst of this, the people cry out to God. They’re hiding in caves and hiding their crops and animals for fear they will be taken. Out of this storm, God sends an angel to Gideon - - - -
11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah . . . and appeared to Gideon and said to him,
“The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
What great words of encouragement from God.
Gideon!! I am with you!! Even though you’re hiding right now, I want you to know and believe - - - -
I AM WITH YOU. And Gideon, YOU are a mighty man. You’re a courageous man. A hero, a champion! That’s how God saw Gideon.
I can only imagine after hearing that, the swelling of emotion. He’s hearing the God of the Israelites coming to him and telling him, I’m with you and you’re a mighty man!
But Gideon’s not covinced. His timidity / his fear takes over. So, Gideon asked the angel, ‘where has God been? Why are we under attack?’
Ultimately, God responded to Gideon telling him - - - -
14 “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” - Judges 6:14
Again, great words of encouragement from God to Gideon. Go in your strength. Go as my mighty warrior. I’m sending you!
It’s getting real for Gideon. He’s taking in these words. But let me ask you a question before we keep going on with the story - - - -
Has anyone told you they believe in you? Have they spoken words of life into you, yet you reject their words, because you just don’t believe them.
For whatever reason, you’ve been put down over the years, you’ve been made to feel less than . . . . and now someone’s telling you that you can do it, you’re strong, you’re mighty!
And maybe you even laugh at them and tell them, thanks, but you’re not thinking straight. You don’t believe them . . . at all!!
That’s where Gideon is. He responds - - - -
15 “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”
Ah, how many of us can identify with Gideon? You’ve had those same thoughts. You’ve been reminded you’re the runt, the least of everyone. It hurts! It hits deep in our gut. We navigate life broken. We feel weak, broken, less than.
Maybe you need to hear these words from God today!!
There’s a school issue and you’re struggling.
There’s issues at home and you’re asking questions.
There’s something happening at work.
There’s a lingering health issue
There’s major decisions to make!
There’s something personal going on.
Whatever it is . . . . the words to Gideon are words God gives to us as well.
I AM WITH YOU.
YOU ARE A MIGHTY WARRIOR!
I’ve thought a lot about this. Sometimes we think we’re missing God’s plan for us. You see, I wonder if we get this part wrong.
Maybe that’s what Gideon’s thinking. I’m not a mighty warrior. I was hiding in the winepress, threshing wheat. That’s not a warrior. That’s a coward. That’s my reality! I’m the least in my family.
What if we consider the fact that our lives were designed for God’s plans. I think we’d all say, of course. But we aren’t living that way!
This may be something you’ve never considered and I’m actually wrestling with this right now. I’m working through this kind of thinking. Because it’s different.
God has given us a life, and the goal is for us to fulfill the plans and purposes God has for us.
And this isn’t a novel idea, but it’s one I don’t think we consider very often. We think our plans have to mesh with God’s. That’s our normal thinking. But we have it backwards.
It’s the fact that we need to seek and follow God’s plans in our lives. Not follow our hearts, follow God.
God’s plan and purposes for our lives are to become so completely and utterly and overwhelmingly filled with His life and love and power . . . .
. . . that we become the most incredibly generous and encouraging and uncontainable blessing of a human being that people around you have ever seen.
How’s that? Tell me that this is wrong thinking? Frankly, I don’t think you can. But why don’t we grab hold of this?
You see, God’s plan for you and I — — is to be so connected to Him, in order to make us so filled with His grace and truth and goodness and kindness; adding His love and power to that, too - - - - so that people we know, hardly recognize us anymore.
Your parents have to do a double take.
Your friends think something is off.
Your co-workers think you’re going through a mid-life crisis.
I’m convinced this is what Paul was saying in Ephesians 5 - - - -
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Look at what Paul’s telling us. It’s so important. Do you see it?! Don’t be a fool! Don’t be stupid, don’t lack sense. Understand what God’s will is for you in your life. Again, it’s not about our will, it’s God’s will.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, - Ephesians 5:17-18
I could give you more scripture passages, but this one is one of the greatest passages because of the way Paul stated it. BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT!!
There are so many different things Paul is telling us in this verse —
1. He’s contrasting what’s filling our lives. In this reference — are you being filled with alcohol or the Holy Spirit? It can be any other vice or addiction.
His point is - - - - - what’s controlling your life? What are you filling your life with . . . God or the things of the world?
2. Now, comes the fun part. Paul’s wording is so specific and we don’t have a good English translation. It’s really cool the tense Paul uses.
This phrase is written as a command in the present passive tense. So, what does all that mean? It’s huge!!
3. This is a command / not a suggestion. Be filled with the Spirit is not an idea for us to put on our to do list. It’s a command!! Do it! Don’t wait. Be filled with the Spirit of God.
Now some of us might say, when I said YES to Jesus, I received the Spirit. And you’re right, but that’s why there’s more to the verse.
Also, we get it wrong because we see Paul saying BE FILLED. So, we assume we need to do the filling. And we generally wait to do the filling until we’re running on empty.
But this isn’t about getting gas for your car. This is about filling your spirit with the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. Paul wrote this in the present tense which means we are to be continually filled. He’s telling us "keep on being filled."
Filling is not a one time event! It’s not a do it when you need it event. It’s BE FILLED! It’s a command which means we are always to be filled, it’s a continuous filling. And that filling is always supposed to be to the brim.
Does anyone ever go out for coffee and your coffee is not filled to the top? That’s frustrating, but that’s not what the Spirit of God does! He fills us!
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not an option for believers but a mandate.
5. Finally, it’s also written in the passive voice, which means the subject receives the action. Which is what we get wrong. We think we do the filling. We don’t!!
Paul is emphasizing the fact that we do not fill ourselves the Spirit fills us. It’s not our job to fill ourselves. Our job is to be an open vessel, as we receive the ongoing filling of the Spirit.
I know that’s a lot.
But consider what Paul’s telling us - - - -
The bottom line is to allow the Spirit of God to constantly fill you because you are an open vessel seeking to be filled.
So let me ask us, are we constantly seeking to be filled by the Spirit? Are we opening our hearts, spirits and minds to the Spirit and seeking His continual filling?
OR are we getting filled only when we’re running low. And we are doing the filling. Like when we’re low on gas. That tends to be our norm.
And if we do what Paul’s telling us . . . then go back to what I was saying before about Gideon and God’s plans for us.
God wants us to be so connected to Him and you and me — that our lives are always demonstrating His grace and mercy; His love and compassion; His strength and power.
The goal is to give God 100% of your life - - - as God pours 100% of Himself into you.
That means we need to let go of the things that hold us back from Him. We give up the idols, the self - centeredness, the selfishness, the anger, the bitterness, the addictions and on and on we could go.
And as we do this and seek to experience God, our lives will change more and more.
I’m more convinced life is an adventure, but we make it so unpleasant. Yet, whatever God gives us as an assignment, no matter how difficult, it’s His plan we are following and that is always a great thing. And when we accept God’s plan, He will not abandon you
I was reminded of that this week. I was a bit down about something and on Wednesday at Fields of Faith they sang the song from Josiah Queen - “Can’t Steal My Joy!”
And I thought - - - - I’ve been allowing my joy to be stolen. I said - - - - “I will not allow others to steal my joy! I’m not going to give it away! My joy is God’s joy planted within me.” It’s what Nehemiah said – - - -
10 The joy of the Lord is my strength!
Gideon was a farmer who was given an assignment that took him on an adventure. He knew he didn’t have what it would take. He was about to learn God had it all under control.
Gideon had to make the turn from believing in God to believing God. He needed courage and needed to be encouraged.
That’s what you and I need. It takes courage and encouragement to step out and say YES to God so that we are fully following His plan.
That’s the Word for today. Will you step back from your plans and path and allow God to guide you so that you’re following His path. So intimately connected to Him that the world sees a different you and you know you are a different you.
God is telling you - - - -
The LORD is with you, mighty warrior!
I pray that you would believe God’s Words to you.
PRAY
Father, thank you for Gideon, unimpressive, under-confident, unqualified, and underwhelming. Thank you for choosing Gideon. It helps us to know that even when we think we’re the least of these, the weak one, you will not abandon us. But you promise to always be with us. So, Lord help us to open our hearts, spirits and minds to be filled by your Spirit.
May we take those steps this week as we draw closer and closer to you.
We want our lives to be for your plan. We want a life that is too good to be true and yet is true not because of us but because of you. Come, Holy Spirit, lead us! In Jesus’s name, amen.
