There are great pitfalls to power. If you've been given great authority, you’d better be careful. All of us have a degree of power and authority over at least our own lives. We must make sure to use that power carefully and in a godly way.

Gideon's anger and jealousy was undermining the moral credibility of his victory. How often is that the case for us? Today our society is characterized by anger, and everyone is posturing for their own positions. There is so little harmony.

If you'd had to avoid the secret police to get to church this morning, I bet you'd be listening more intently. It is, perhaps, too easy to be a Christian. What are you willing to give up to keep the peace? The danger of peace is that we get spiritually lazy. We aren't sharpened by a conversation with an atheist or by the challenge of real suffering.

Have you ever noticed that there are two methods for getting into a cold swimming pool? There's the "inching yourself in" method, and there's the "I'm going to jump in; watch out for the splash!" Now's the time to jump in, and we'll see what it's like to start to trust God.

Strategic planning from smart people can invigorate an economy, but there's no telling when the next economic crash may occur. In our human wisdom, we are likely to be forgotten if we're right or sorry if we're wrong.

God has spiritual victories for us to achieve, moral character for us to attain, and experiences of Him for us to enjoy. This passage is not about getting prepared or understanding the strategy. It's about taking the plunge!

Gideon is filled with the Spirit and reassured by God, so he is ready to go to battle against the Midianites with all his troops. Except God has different plans. He wants a smaller army so that Israel understands that it is God who wins the battles. Today, we think that the size of our church or the degrees we have after our name are the things that count. What really counts is the character of God.

Gideon set out wool fleeces to test God. How does God guide us? Ultimately, we rely on what God says in His Word.

Fear that does not lead to faithful obedience is not fear of God, it is fear of consequences. So don't be frightened of your doubts; asking the hard questions is often the first step toward faith. Doubting is often the pathway to true trust.

Gideon is thought of as a great hero, but when you dig into this passage, you realize he wrestled with doubts and wrong thinking. Yet God used him, which is an inspiration for our own vacillations of faith.