We see more of Gideon’s story. Gideon’s story is our story. Today, we are going to read that he gets it right. He blows the horn, he rallies the troops. He is faithful. Now, yesterday, he didn’t exactly get it right. And he isn’t going to do great tomorrow. But today, he was faithful. We are like that. We are Gideon. Some days, we get it right. Some days, we don’t.  But we are reminded, it’s not about our faithfulness. It’s always about God’s faithfulness to us. 

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Good morning. It’s good to be back with you—especially back in my normal routine. I’m back in my office recording, and I much prefer this setup to recording at the house with just my computer.

Today, we’re continuing with the story of Gideon. I’m telling you—Judges contains some of my absolute favorite stories in the Bible, largely because the people we meet there are so deeply human. They’re imperfect. And today, we see that clearly again.

If you remember yesterday, the Lord instructed Gideon to tear down the altars and sacred poles used in the worship of the Canaanite gods. The worship of Baal, in particular, was associated with sacred poles and high places—these were the visible signs of idolatry in the land. God told Gideon not only to tear down the altar, but also to use that wood to offer a burnt sacrifice to Him.

That’s such a beautiful image to me. Our idols demand our allegiance. We all have them—not necessarily Baals, but things we place our trust in above God. In our culture, that’s often money or financial security. That’s the real test of an idol: are we willing to be faithful to God even when it might cost us financially, socially, or emotionally? An idol is anything that demands your loyalty above your integrity, your faithfulness, or your obedience to God.

So when the Lord tells Gideon to destroy the idol and use it to worship Him, it’s a powerful reminder: God will triumph over our idols—if we let Him.

Let’s pick up the story now in Judges 6:28–35:

When the townspeople rose early in the morning, the altar of Baal was broken down, the sacred pole beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the new altar that had been built. They said to one another, “Who has done this?” After searching and inquiring, they were told, “Gideon, son of Joash, did it.” Then the townspeople said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so he may die—for he has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the sacred pole beside it.” But Joash said to all who were arrayed against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Will you defend his cause? If he is a god, let him contend for himself—because his altar has been pulled down.” Therefore, on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, meaning “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had pulled down Baal’s altar.

Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the East gathered together and crossed the Jordan. They encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. He sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they too were called to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet him.

I love this passage. Just yesterday, we saw Gideon hiding—threshing wheat in secret to avoid the Midianites. He was full of fear, and the Lord ironically greeted him as a “mighty warrior.” And when God asked him to act, Gideon obeyed—but only under the cover of night, because he was afraid of being seen.

And guess what? He gets found out anyway.

The townspeople are furious and demand that Gideon be put to death. But then Joash, his father, steps up and makes a powerful argument: “If Baal is really a god, he can defend himself.” That’s such a key moment—Gideon didn’t defend himself, but his obedience prompted someone else to stand up. From that moment on, Gideon is known as “Jerubbaal”—the one who contended with Baal.

And what happens next?
The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon. The same man who was hiding is now out front, blowing the trumpet, calling the people together to stand against the enemy. He’s gone from fearful to faithful, from hiding to leading.

Isn’t that just like the Christian life?

Some days, we get it right. We say the right thing, do the right thing, and act in faith—and everything seems to fall into place. Those are good days. But other days, we’re more like the earlier Gideon: hiding, fearful, hesitant, hoping not to be noticed. Some days we’re brave, and some days we’re timid. And that’s okay.

Judges reminds us that God uses imperfect people. Over and over, we see people who mess up, hesitate, or struggle—and yet God still works through them. That’s the beauty of this story: a perfect God working through imperfect vessels.

We’ll see more of Gideon’s story in the coming chapters—and as you might guess, it’s not all uphill from here. But today? Today, he was faithful. And that’s all God asks of us.

Will you be faithful today?
You don’t have to worry about tomorrow yet. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be faithful—right now, right here. Let Jesus have space to work in your life today, and you may be surprised at what He does.

Thanks for being with us. We’ll continue the story tomorrow. Have a great day—and see you in the morning.