Contemplative Bible Reading

Judges 6:13 (New Living Translation)

13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”

This is part of the (hi)story of Gideon defeating the Midianites with only 300 soldiers and the trumpets and pitchers holding torches. Gideon here has one of his many moments of doubt.

Why has all this happened to us?

My grandparents told me all these stories about the miracles that God performed when our people left Egypt. There were all those miracles and miraculous battle victories as our people entered this land promised to us. What happened to us? What about all those things my grandparents told me?

Grandparents tell things to grandchildren. That seems to be the way of things since the first grandparents appeared on earth. Some, maybe most, of the things grandparents tell are true. Gideon, however, had not seen the tales of his grandparents come true.

Up until now.

Now, Gideon would become one of the things that grandparents would tell their grandchildren. Now, Gideon would become one of the (hi)stories adults told children for several thousand years. Now, Gideon would inspire people for a thousand generations to believe in the power of God and to allow God to show power through little powerless people.

God hasn’t asked me to take 300 soldiers and battle an army outnumbered a hundred to one. Well, maybe not in those terms, but maybe so. God asks each of us to do things that are beyond belief and human power and the laws of nature. God asks each of us to be the mechanism for God’s miracles in everyday life.

I believe that the miracles our ancestors told us about are still happening everyday right in front of us. We simply need to be like Gideon. He believed all those things his grandparents told him. He allowed God to act miracles through him. God, please help me in my unbelief.