40 Days of Lint, Day Twelve: Outstanding in Your Field

The card read, “Happy Birthday to a guy who’s out standing in his field!” On the front was a farmer in the middle of a field of wheat. We told my uncle it was really alfalfa, since that’s what he grew on his land and he laughed at the pun. However, it’s not just a fun play on words. In order to get ahead in agriculture, or anything else, you have to spend time in your field.

Shammah was one of King David’s mighty men who excelled at what he did, because he continued to work diligently, even when the odds were against him. When Samuel listed the thirty-seven faithful warriors who served David, he began with the exploits of the “Three.” Shammah was one of the elite of these elite men in David’s army:

lentils come in a surprising variety of colors!

“When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory” (2 Samuel 23:11-12).

Maybe you’re thinking, “So what? A guy stood his ground in the middle of a field of beans and defeated the enemy. How does that affect me?”

Lentils may not tantalize your palate, but they were essential food to the Israelites - they were filling, cheap, and nourishing. So often those are the things for which we fail to take a stand - the basics. The everyday stuff seems too boring to bother with. Guard a rare treasure? Yes! A secret passageway to a hidden world? Sure thing! But Shammah was willing to risk his life in the defense of lentils.

What is it that’s most basic in our lives – those that sustain, yet seem ordinary? The Bible. Family. Marriage, as God defines it. Purity. If we’re ever going to keep what God has given to us, we must value it first. Only then can we stand to defend it when the enemy attacks.

The second thing I see in these verses is that everyone else ran away. Yet Shammah still won the battle. Was he inspired by his great passion for lentils? Did he succeed because he stood in the middle of the field where no one could sneak up on him? Or was he a rebel soldier who worked best alone? None of the above. Shammah won because he fought for God.

So there’s still hope for us. We might be listed in the heavenly records as an outstanding warrior in our field. Shammah’s friends ran away. There will be times when our friends and family will not stay to fight the enemy, even when we’re fighting to rescue them! How many of us agonize daily in prayer for others who do not value their minds, bodies, and eternal destiny as much as we do. But with God’s angel army surrounding us, we have the advantage. God is working and those who live for Him are on the winning side. Don’t let the enemy chase you off your land; stay and fight!

Lint Removed: Enemy Forces

Cleaning Process: Stand and Fight for Your Lentils

40 Days of Lint, Day Eleven: Pick Your Tree

Have you ever noticed that it’s hard to stay away from temptation? When I gave up dessert for Lent, I was suddenly drawn to the last Lindor truffles from Valentine’s Day. The bowl of pastel mints for Easter called to me each time I passed. And I was suddenly in the mood to bake! It took constant vigilance to resist the voices luring me into the kitchen.

 Kelly absentmindedly filled his pocket with free candy at the store the first day of Lent, until he remembered his promise. Even then, there was a little voice inside that said, “She’ll never know.” But of course he would know and so would God, so he put them back in the bowl. It would have been no sin to indulge, except that we chose to give up dessert for Lent in order to focus our minds on Christ.

Doesn’t it seem like whatever you’re trying to resist suddenly throws itself in front of you everywhere you look? But often, we cause our own demise – we flirt with temptation, tantalizing our desire until we finally give in. Where do we find the guy who ends up in the arms of the adulteress woman in Proverbs 7:8? He just happens to be strolling down the street where she lives…just before sunset. And where were Adam and Eve when Satan tempted them to eat? They were conveniently located right beside the forbidden tree.

“Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’

 ‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 2:8-9, and 3:3-6).

If you read carefully, you’ll find the tree of knowledge wasn’t the only thing in the middle of the garden where Adam and Eve were hanging out. The tree of life was there too. They had a choice. Would they choose to eat only what God allowed, and believe it was satisfying and perfect? Or was the serpent telling the truth? The fruit did look tempting. Maybe God was keeping it for himself because He knew if they ate it, they could be gods too! So they believed the lies of a slick-tongued serpent over God.

We face the same choice every day, and the stakes are life or death. Six thousand years or so later, the serpent is still using the same ploy…successfully, “You’re not going to die if you disobey God; He’s keeping the good stuff for himself.” The two trees stand in the middle of our world – the tree of evil and the tree of everlasting life. Satan claims the first tree will satisfy our desire for sensual pleasure, God is holding back on us - that if we eat of it, we’ll be like God himself. The other tree promises eternal life in harmony with our loving Lord and Creator who has already given us everything we need. Only one tree fulfills its promises.

How we respond to this question is the key to everything else; that’s why it’s in the middle. We can try to ignore it, walk past it, but sooner or later we’ll end up at the trees of choice. Whatever we pick and consume will produce fruit in our lives in keeping with its origin. Whose voice will we believe; who will we follow?

Lint Removed: Disobedience

Cleaning Process: Repentance

40 Days of Lint, Day Ten: The Throne

When you walk into a person’s house, you usually enter the living or family room. Whatever piece of furniture sits in the middle of that room is probably symbolic of the lord who lives there. It may be a lazy boy recliner with a remote on the arm, or an oversized chair with an ottoman. It may be a leather couch flanked by neat piles of books and magazines. The central piece of furniture in a woman’s home might be a multi-pillowed couch with luxurious blankets for snuggling.

What then, do you think we will find in the middle of heaven? Several scripture passages tell us it will be the Lord’s throne, who reigns without equal:

“…there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne…From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing…Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal…Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne… the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’ ” (Revelation 4:2-6; 5:6; 7:17).

In this glimpse of heaven, Jesus reigns on the throne in the middle. He is identified as the Shepherd who will lead us to living water and dry our tears. In His glorified state, in the center of heaven, Jesus still appears as the Lamb who was slain. He’s not a potbellied couch potato with a remote in one hand and a beer in the other (or even a scepter!). Even in His glorious, heavenly radiance, Jesus bears the marks of the sacrifice He made for us.

If not for the wounds of love, John might have been terrified by this vision of Jesus. Instead, He sees his Master, his friend, his Savior. And he falls in love with Him all over again. For those of us who have never had the privilege of seeing Jesus in human form, it is comforting to know where to find Him when we get to heaven. He’ll be the One in the middle – the One so beautiful He escapes description - surrounded by rainbows, gems, and storms of praise. People and angels surround Him in adoration. Yet He reaches out nail-pierced hands to wipe the earth-tears from our eyes and welcome us home. 

For those who have accepted Jesus’ gift of forgiveness and new life in Him, we need not fear death. We need not wonder if heaven will be tedious or if we will be accepted. I’m confident that when we see what John saw, we will be overcome with the splendor of our Lord and heavenly delights beyond anything we can experience here on earth.

Lint Removed: Fear

Cleaning Process: Gratitude

40 Days of Lint, Day Nine: In the Middle of Camp

Part Two: Bellybutton Lint (At the Center of Things)

Everyone has a bellybutton. They’re not the most attractive part of our anatomy. They serve as a testimony of our humaneness, our need for nourishment and attachment from the womb and beyond. Our navels are also symbolic of the center of things in our lives, and the stuff that tends to accumulate there and throw us off track. Welcome to part two of the “40 Days of Lint.”

Day Nine: In the Middle of Camp

A while back a young friend of ours asked, “Why do you want to go to church when you’re on vacation?” It seemed strange to him that we would waste our morning with a bunch of strangers when we could be out having fun. I’m glad he asked; it has helped me confirm all over again why I love to go to church.

To me, it’s not about being fed, although I do enjoy lively discussions in Sunday school and powerful sermons. It’s not about the music, even though I love to worship with live accompaniment and singing with fellow believers (even those I don’t’ know). However, more than that, church is an expression of who I am – a grateful believer in Jesus Christ. The Church is my family. It doesn’t matter whether we’re in Tillamook, Mexico, or the Philippines. It’s a joy to gather in the presence of the Lord with brothers and sisters, reminding each other that God is on the throne. It puts everything in perspective.

During the week, things can get out of whack. The frustrations of everyday life can become the focus instead of God. I need to remember He is all-powerful, all-merciful, all-loving, ever-faithful. When we don’t go to church regularly, we miss the opportunity to share our praises and needs, and be energized by what God is doing in the lives of others. We miss the joy of the hope of heaven.

That’s why God told Moses and Aaron to have the Israelites set up camp surrounding the tent of meeting with the portable church and the priests camped in the middle.

“ ‘The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family.’ …the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps” (Numbers 2:1-2 &17).

That way, they wouldn’t get distracted by whatever “Thelma and Ernest” and their seven kids were doing in the tent in front of them. Every family faced the holy place where God came down to speak to Moses. If they paid attention, they could see when the Spirit of God descended. Pretty exciting view! They knew when the pillar of cloud or fire rose from the tent signifying it was time to move on.

That leads me to ask, “Which way is your tent facing?” Are you distracted because your focus is on others? Does the holy presence of God descend unnoticed as you gaze dejectedly into the desert? How do you know when it’s time to stay put and when to get going? What does the banner say that flies above your home? Is God in the middle of your camp?

It’s so easy to let work, sports, entertainment, or education set up camp in the middle of our lives. Those things are great, but when they push God and church attendance to the sidelines, we lose our most important family connection. We need to be accountable to each other, maintain our focus, and lean on each other in the journey.

Lint Removed: Centering on the Wrong Things

Cleaning Process: Gather Around God and His House

40 Days of Lint, Day Eight: Insults

I still remember the day my college roommate hurled her dresser drawers at me. I had returned to our dorm room moments earlier, happy and energized after a game of tennis. I don’t know what I said that ticked her off, but suddenly she started yelling how cocky I was about my “athletic ability.” She emptied the contents of her drawers at me - I dodged socks, underwear, and t-shirts. Once they were emptied, she flung the drawers themselves. Thankfully they bounced off the bed and walls instead of my face. I breathed a sigh of relief when, instead of finding more ammunition, she flounced from the room.

What in the world brought that on? I wondered. I looked around at the wreckage and tried to figure out why my normally sweet roommate had attacked me with such venom. Then I got it. Earlier in the school year she had been in an accident that shattered her ankle. She had spent months in pain, the winter in a walking cast, in and out of surgery and numerous doctor’s appointments. When I bounced into the room after running around the court in the sunshine, it was the final blow. She snapped.

 

Jealousy is often the reason people insult and attack others. That’s what caused so much friction between Jesus and the teachers of the Law. He was stealing their audience and they decided He must be dealt with. Knowing this attitude would continue after He returned to heaven, Jesus warned His disciples. Even on His way to the cross He said:

“‘For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?’ Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ ” (Luke 23:31-39).

Are you in a dry season because of cruelty or insults? Have you suffered persecution for being a follower of Jesus Christ? If Satan wanted to kill Jesus and His message at the cross, think how much he hates those of us who repeat this message of hope and salvation? He is jealous of Jesus’ supremacy, the victory He had over death and sin, and His power at work in us.

Insults hurt, so does persecution in any form. Jesus wasn't surprised or bitter about it, instead He prayed for the ones who hurt Him. Even in the agony of rejection and crucifixion, Jesus demonstrated how we can lift our pain to the Father. He was able to forgive others because He knew He would soon be home. His assignment and ultimate desire was for all to come with Him to heaven, even those who mocked and killed Him.

One of the criminals realized, just in time, that Jesus was His Savior, and repented. Jesus promised they would be together in paradise (Luke 23:42-43). Our resurrection day is coming too, and the way we respond to our persecutors can either take us down, or bring others up with us. It’s not something we can do in our own strength. Only Jesus can give us both the desire and the ability to forgive those who treat us hatefully.

Soon after her outburst, my roommate requested to move. She disappeared from the campus at the end of the term. I don’t know if she ever dealt with the bitterness she had developed toward me, but God helped me to forgive her and gain understanding. He helped me see her through His eyes, as a person in pain, needing His love. I hope to be with her in heaven someday.

Lint Removed: Bitterness

Cleaning Process: Forgiveness

40 Days of Lint, Day Seven: I Have Nothing to Offer

One of the worst parts of spiritually dry times is the guilt Satan heaps on us. He loves to convince us we’re useless, either because of our past sins, or the damage others have done to us. After my divorce, I felt useless, irreparably broken. Imagine my surprise when I was invited to serve on the church board and the mission council at my church that same year. Through this validation of my fellow believers, God showed me I could still serve in His kingdom.

Guilt and insecurity are nothing new in our generation. For centuries now, men and women alike have refused to believe the Good News that they can be saved, or once saved, that they are fit to minister for a number of reasons. We say:

·         I’m not worthy

·         I’m not smart enough, don’t know enough

·         I turned my back on Him; He’s given up on me

·         I’m handicapped

God’s answer is always, “If you love me, I can use you. The world needs your gifts and perspective and voice.”

“Let no foreigner who is bound to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.’ And let no eunuch complain, ‘I am only a dry tree.’
For this is what the LORD says: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.
‘And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’” (Isaiah 56:3-7).

No one is excluded from the Lord’s invitation. A barren, unfruitful life given to Him will flourish and become productive. None of us are beyond the reach of His love and healing. He will not reject anyone who comes in repentance and humility. That goes for first-time comers, as well as repeat customers. He has a way of taking our messy lives and making something new and beautiful out of them. Instead of remaining worthless, we become showpieces of His amazing love. 

Lint Removed: Hopelessness

Cleaning Process: Accept His Invitation

40 Days of Lint, Day Six: Sprouting from Dry Ground

As a gardener, it always amazes me when I see weeds, even trees, growing from cracks in the sidewalk or breaking through solid rock. Why is it that what I plant on purpose has to be coaxed into existence, while these rebel plants thrive in the least likely spots? They are tenacious for life, willing to fight impossible odds, flourishing in the most inhospitable environment. They don’t care if anybody wants them there, or if anyone makes bouquets from their flowers. They laugh at our efforts to kill them. No matter how many times we pull or spray these plants, they keep coming back.

Just last weekend, my husband, stepdaughter, and I spent over an hour trying to uproot a stump growing next to our fence. It was growing in the exact spot we needed to put a new post. The old post came loose as well as several large chunks of cement. And we managed to hack the trunk into three pieces, but it still wouldn’t pry from the ground. It wasn’t until my husband attached a chain to his truck that he was able to pull the roots from the ground. Kourtnie and I watched in amazement as each piece emerged from the ground followed by a 10-12 foot root!

These renegades have two things in common – an original seed and deep roots. Somewhere back in time, a seed was dropped and it grew. It developed a strong base. Every effort to cut it down or dig it up failed, because far below the surface the root drank from hidden sources of water.

Many people view Jesus, as an ugly, unwelcome weed. Yet when they tried to destroy Him on the cross, He made a comeback. No matter how people try to erase Him from our society today - our government, our schools, our literature - He just keeps coming back. He is the original seed of God and He is rooted in eternity:

"Just watch my servant blossom!
Exalted, tall, head and shoulders above the crowd!
But he didn't begin that way.
At first everyone was appalled.
He didn't even look human—
a ruined face, disfigured past recognition.
Nations all over the world will be in awe, taken aback,
kings shocked into silence when they see him.
For what was unheard of they'll see with their own eyes,
what was unthinkable they'll have right before them.”
Who believes what we've heard and seen?
Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
Isaiah 52:13-53:2, Message

Jesus grew up in a world parched for salvation, and they chopped Him down. He rose to prove His victory over sin and death. Many believed in Him then and now. However, our world continues to see Him as an intruder; they attempt to dispose of Christ and His seed everywhere. They cultivate other plants that do not have the audacity to point out their sin and need for a Savior.

Soon, so soon I can feel it in the air I breathe, Jesus will return for those who love Him. He will not appear as an ugly weed or a scraggly plant struggling to rise from the desert floor. This time He will show himself for who He really is – the Rose, The Vine, The Branch. King Jesus. This tenacious seed of God, was cut down by our sin, but He rose from the dead and will come again in victory.

Lint Removed: Viewing Christ as a Weed
Cleaning Process: Seeing Jesus as the True Vine

40 Days of Lint, Day Five: When the Brook Dries Up

Have you ever felt like God’s favorite child? Others around you experience broken hearts, financial difficulties, health problems, trials of faith, and job loss. Yet, you seem to be doing great. Maybe you wonder why everything’s going so well; even feel guilty about your comfort in the midst of other’s pain. Perhaps you assume God is blessing you for your faithfulness to Him. Then suddenly, the brook dries up and you move into a season of famine and questioning. That’s what happened to Elijah.

“The word of the LORD came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’
"So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
"Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: ‘Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.’ So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, ‘Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?’
"She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:2-9, 15-16).

It would have been easy for God to keep sending raven care packages to Elijah. He could have kept the stream flowing, even though there was drought everywhere else. But if He had done that, both Elijah and the widow would have missed out on God’s better plan. By sending him to the widow, God revealed himself as the one true God to a hopeless and dying woman. He also provided a dear and lifelong friend for Elijah. None of that would have happened if he had stayed by the brook.

 For the last two years, Kelly and I have enjoyed wonderful blessings and peace by God’s brook, but now we’re experiencing a time of drought like never before. Our tendency is to ask, “What have we done wrong? Don’t you love us anymore?” But I cling to the knowledge that God sees what we cannot see from our perspective. He knows our need for growth and whose lives we need to touch.

 If your brook has dried up and you’re mourning the easy life you once enjoyed, God may be changing your situation for reasons you haven’t yet realized. Maybe there’s someone out there dying of starvation that needs to hear about God. Sharing Him in your own time of need is a miracle that can’t be done by the brook. Or, perhaps you need more than just physical comfort right now; it could be that God knows you need someone besides ravens to talk to - a friend beyond the brook. Whatever His reasons, let us trust our kind and loving Father to bring about His perfect good in all situations.

Lint Removed: Comfort
Cleaning Process: Sharing With Others

40 Days of Lint, Day Four: Walking on Dry Ground

We all face situations where it seems like no matter what you choose, it’s not going to turn out well. We refer to them as:

·         impossible odds

·         between a rock and a hard place

·         up against the wall

I’ve been there, haven’t you? Parenting is riddled with decisions like that. If you train and discipline your children they don’t always appreciate it, and can make life miserable. But if you take the easy road and let them have what they want, they grow up spoiled and nasty, and they make your life miserable. See what I mean?

When God rescued the Israelites from their Egyptian slave masters, He took them into the desert toward the Promised Land. They immediately encountered an impossible situation. The Egyptians realized that without their Israelite slaves, they would have to do all their own work. So they jumped on their chariots to bring them back by force. Directly in front of the Israelites loomed the Red Sea. Let’s see…angry army on one side, uncross-able sea on the other. Hmm, not a good situation. But God opened an escape route:

“Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left” (Exodus 14:21-22).

An estimated 3.5 million Israelites and all their herds calmly walked (well, maybe hurried) across a dry sea bed. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, the waters closed in on them. For the next forty years God did miracle after miracle to demonstrate His love and teach His people. But when they reached the Promised Land they panicked. “How will we ever get across the Jordan River? It’s too big!” Once again, God made a path.

“Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away... while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground” (Joshua 3:15-17).

Notice that both times, someone had to make a move of faith before God opened the way. The first time, Moses held his staff over the water. That took guts. How stupid would you feel holding a stick over the water in front of everyone if nothing happened? The second time God told the priests to lead the way. They actually had to pick up the heavy ark and walk into the water before it stopped flowing.

It seems like an oxymoron to fear drowning in a desert, but in reality it happens to us all the time. When we choose to follow God we will encounter impossible barriers. We will face the temptation to go back to the slavery of our old way of life, or to stay just this side of the Promised Land. We’re in the desert; we’re parched and aching to rest, and yet we consider staying there because it’s familiar. It’s only when we overcome our fear of drowning in the unknown, and step out in obedience, that miracles happen. That’s when God makes a way through the sea.

Lint Removed: Fear of Drowning

Cleaning Process: Make the Move of Faith

40 Days of Lint, Day Three: A Dry Fleece

Have you ever been given a job for which you felt unqualified? There have been several times throughout my life when I’ve been surprised by an offer I couldn’t refuse. The first came right out of college, when an editor/friend asked me to write a book of plays. Several years later, when I was in my twenties, our pastor asked if I would consider starting a Women’s Ministries program at church. The summer after my oldest daughter finished first grade, she began begging me to homeschool. Years later, after volunteering some with missionaries in the Philippines, I received an invitation to teach an international writer’s conference there.

Just this last year, God has led my husband and I to open a halfway house for men in our city. Neither one of us have ever had any aspirations to do such a thing! But time after time He has confirmed His plan and opened doors.

To each of these requests, my initial response was, “Who me? You’ve got to be kidding! I don’t know how to do that. I’m not smart enough or experienced enough.” Every time, I’ve prayed, asked a lot of questions, and lay my ‘fleeces’ out before the Lord to see if it was really me He wanted. Each time, God confirmed the call and enabled me to carry out His plan. I really relate to Gideon’s story.

Secretly threshing wheat in a winepress so the Midianite raiders couldn’t steal the grain, he was just minding his own business when an angel showed up. “You’re God’s man of the hour,” he said. “He’s going to use you to defeat the Midians.” Gideon thought he must have heard wrong.

“Who me?” I’m a nobody - the runt of my family from the smallest clan in Israel. You’ve got to be kidding!” But God wasn’t. Gideon needed a little encouragement though before he was ready to charge into battle.

“‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised - look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.’ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.’ That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew” (Judges 6:36-40).

Why would God choose someone with such obvious insecurities? Even though the odds were already against them, God told Gideon to downsize his army from 32,000 to 300 men and go to war with only jars, torches, and trumpets. There was no way 300 men could defeat thousands of well trained, well armed soldiers. His reasoning? So Israel couldn’t boast they had saved themselves through their own strength (Judges 7:2).

It’s the same today. The strongest, most capable person without God is nothing, but the smallest, clumsiest, least educated person with God, is sure to win. So even when we’re feeling dried up and unprepared to do the job, God has a plan. He can use us if we’re willing to let go of our insecurities and let Him do the work through us.

Lint Removed: Insecurity

Cleaning Process: Answer God’s Call to Action