Today we meet Gideon. He is called a mighty warrior. He is anything but that. He is hiding when the Lord comes to him. He eventually does what the Lord wants (after testing the Lord), but he does it at night because he is afraid. But how does the Lord greet him? As a mighty warrior. The Lord sees something in Gideon that Gideon doesn’t see in himself. The Lord is with him. Today, as we look back, when has the Lord failed us? He hasn’t. He is always with us. Trust Him, even when it is hard.

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It’s good to see you again. For those watching online through Facebook or YouTube, you may notice I’m still at home. I didn’t get a chance to record Rooted on Friday, so here we are—early Monday morning. If you’re watching this, you’re probably seeing it just a few minutes after I recorded it.

It’s going to be a great week. We had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday and a meaningful baccalaureate service at St. Matthew’s. Now we’re moving on toward Thomas’s graduation.

Just a little housekeeping note:
This week should be a normal Rooted schedule—everything on track. Next week, we’ll likely have Rooted on Monday and Tuesday (possibly Wednesday), but after that, we’ll pause for a few days. We’re taking Thomas’s senior trip next week to Niagara Falls and a few other places he wanted to visit. So just a heads-up: things will slow down a bit after midweek next week, but we’ll be back the following week. After that, my schedule should be back to normal until a camp meeting in July. Once our trip wraps up, I’ll be firmly planted back in Madison County for a while.

Today, we’re beginning the story of Gideon—one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Most people know the name “Gideon” because of the Gideons International organization, a group of laymen who distribute Bibles around the world. Many of us have received a little green New Testament from the Gideons at some point, or maybe you’ve found one of their Bibles in a hotel drawer. They do amazing work.

But not everyone knows the actual biblical story of Gideon, the judge from the Book of Judges. His story is powerful, honest, and very human. So let’s dive in.

We’re reading today from Judges 6:11–27:

Gideon is hiding. He’s threshing wheat in a winepress—essentially hiding his work from the Midianites, who had been oppressing Israel (as we read last week). While he’s doing this, the angel of the Lord appears and says something remarkable: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

Now, that’s ironic. Gideon is far from a mighty warrior in this moment. He’s scared. He’s hiding. And later, in verse 27, we’re told that when God tells Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal, he does it at night—because he’s too afraid to do it during the day.

So why does God call him a mighty warrior?

It’s not because of who Gideon is in that moment—but because of who God knows he can become. Gideon is filled with fear and doubt. He even questions the angel: “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” He wants proof. He asks for a sign. And God gives it to him. Fire springs up from the rock and consumes the offering, and the angel vanishes.

Still, Gideon is afraid.

But God doesn’t condemn him for his fear. Over and over throughout Gideon’s story, we see him asking for more signs, more reassurance—and God patiently provides. It’s easy to be frustrated with Gideon. We might want to say, “Come on, man! How many more signs do you need? God is right in front of you!” But then again… don’t we do the same?

Look back at your life.
How many times has God shown up for you?
How many times has He answered prayers, brought comfort, or carried you through something impossible?

And yet, how often do we still find ourselves saying, “God, just give me one more sign. One more reassurance. Then I’ll believe. Then I’ll act.”

That’s why I love Gideon’s story. It’s not polished or perfect. It’s real. He’s scared. He doubts. He hesitates. And yet God doesn’t reject him. Instead, God keeps meeting him where he is. Keeps encouraging him. Keeps showing him what he needs to see so he can be faithful.

God calls Gideon a mighty warrior—not because he is one yet, but because with God’s help, he will be.

And the same is true for you. You may feel uncertain, unqualified, or afraid—but God sees your potential. He sees what you can become through His power.

So be encouraged. Like Gideon, we’re all imperfect. We all hesitate. But God still loves us, still calls us, and still uses us to do great things.

Thanks for being with us today. Hope you have a great day—and we’ll see you in the morning!