Gettin' Down With Gideon

My home church is coming back to Africa!

In a week!

I can’t wait!

Bay Area Community Church, we are thrilled and honored to host you at Ten Thousand Homes.

It’s powerful, profound and indescribable to experience the up-close and personal parts of the Body of Christ coming together to do His thing. A small team of 4 are coming in the name of Christ and on behalf of a growing, loving and Kingdom-hungry church body. I can’t wait to have even more shared experiences, stories and family moments with them on this side of the globe!

Team member, Mary, wrote me an email saying she had a picture of their team coming as Gideon did – a small number coming in faith to a BIG battle. When God’s presence falls and He overcomes against the odds, you know it has to be about Him and not the names, faces or credentials of anyone coming.

So I spent the morning, first of all, thanking Jesus that Lifa is still sleeping… Can I get an amen!?!

And secondly, flipping to Judges 6 & 7 to check in on Gideon. You know, after I had to look up where to find him.

Gideon was given a promise. (Judges 6:36)

This promise, and the way he was told to live it out, seems a little out-of-control… I’m talking, “build an arc in the desert and invite two of each kind of animal” crazy.

Who does that?

Oh… right…

God told Gideon He would save Israel by Gideon’s hand. This guy, Gideon, was no Clark Kent, everybody. He was from the bad side of town. And he was the youngest kid in his family, which sort of made you a nobody back then. (Not you Sister, you’re a big deal and I love you!)

AND God didn’t give him a shiny new coat of arms and the latest, fancy-schmancy enemy-squishing devices. He made the promise, and then Gideon rounded up 22,000 people. And God weeded them down to 300!

Gideon was afraid. He kept asking for reassurance from God. But he never ever doubted God’s promise.

So God responded. God reassured. And God got the job done.

Gideon didn’t physically do much but blow a trumpet.

A little live music on the battlefield, and God handled the rest. He actually turned the enemy against themselves.

God made a promise. Gideon lived, breathed and led by that promise. And that was that.

When the concert, killings and what-not were over, and it was time for Gideon to receive his big-deal badge, the Israelites begged Gideon to rule over them.  His response: “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” (Judges 8:23)

The shiny new big-deal badge, fame and fortune were not what it was about.

How could it be when there were 300 Israelites hanging out in the dark, blowing horns around masses of murders and oppressors?

Or 12 missionaries with a small army of 9 children (soon to be joined by a family of 6!) standing up for Hope and Homes in the middle of a country laden with racial and economic brokenness, an orphan crisis, and a rampant case of hopelessness?

Or 4 Americans taking 2 weeks away from “normal life” to encircle these missionaries, Ten Thousand Homes and every orphaned and vulnerable child they come across for two weeks, blowing trumpets of Truth and  Love?

God, show me how to  cling to Your Truth and Your Promises in every circumstance. Help me to see and repent from the worldy ways, hopes and promises I’m clinging to – from believing that Your promises are all about my personal happily-ever-afters.

I cling to you. I run after you. I am running toward the prize – the prize of every orphaned and vulnerable child knowing You are the big deal and they have a place in your family. To see their reflection in the sparkle of your big deal badge.

God, how do I know or turn toward Your promises rather than try to decode them to how they translate on earth? How do I live Kingdom life in daily life? How do I stand in the gap when cultures collide?

Fill me – and the team from BACC – today with Your words, Your breath and Your promises. Gideon-style.

Let every person reading this prayer catch a glimmer of your big deal badge in the center of their hearts – the part that You created with hope and invitation. Show us all how to live like Gideons together, clinging to Your promises and letting you mark the path.

Amen.