Judges 6:1-2 ASV, Judges 6:11-16 ASV, Judges 7:2 ASV, Judges 7:2-3 ASV, Matthew 16:25 ASV and 1 Timothy 1:7 ASV

GIDEONFor God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and stronghoThe angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORDGIDEON’S INSECURITIESGIDEON WAS AFRAID GOD WASN’T " FAITHFUL "."But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?GIDEON WAS AFRAID HE WASN’T " GOOD " ENOUGH."But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."WHAT HAS FEAR KEPT YOU FROM DOING THAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO?THE GIDEON: WHEN GOD USES AN UNSURE, INSECURE AND FEARFUL PERSON TO DO THE " IMPOSSIBLE ".GOD’S “GIDEON” TRUTHSWITH GOD, HIS " STRENGTH " THROUGH YOUR " WEAKNESS " IS EXACTLY ENOUGH.The LORD turned to (Gideon) and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands.WITH GOD, THE WAY " FORWARD " IS OFTEN " BACKWARDS ".In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.