The Left Side of the Boat

Three vignettes about how God works not how we want him to work

Vignette 1

Judges 6

Gideon

1Yet again the People of Israel went back to doing evil in GOD's sight. GOD put them under the domination of Midian for seven years. 2Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains--caves and forts. 3When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, 4camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels--past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. 6The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to GOD for help.
7One time when the People of Israel had cried out to GOD because of Midian, 8GOD sent them a prophet with this message: "GOD, the God of Israel, says,

I delivered you from Egypt,
I freed you from a life of slavery;
9I rescued you from Egypt's brutality
and then from every oppressor;
I pushed them out of your way
and gave you their land.

10"And I said to you, "I am GOD, your God. Don't for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.' But you didn't listen to me."
11One day the angel of GOD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine press, out of sight of the Midianites. 12The angel of GOD appeared to him and said,
"GOD is with you,

O mighty warrior!"

13Gideon replied, "With me, my master? If GOD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, "Didn't GOD deliver us from Egypt?' The fact is, GOD has nothing to do with us--he has turned us over to Midian."
14But GOD faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?"
15Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter."
16GOD said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man."

Gideon was the “LAST GUY”

The weakest guy in the weakest clan.

The RUNT of the litter.

God, use me?

He was the unlikeable human choice for leadership but God had greater plans for him!


Do we look in the wrong places for the wrong people to do God’s work. We really need to look to God. Look for greatness in weakness.

Lord be with me to help me look in the right places as the Adventure in Middle Grove continues.