Get Connected
Click here to fill out the Get Connected Card
Message Notes
God grows our faith by testing it!
“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” —James 1:3-4
“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—” —Hebrews 11:32
“And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.’” —Judges 6:16
“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” —Judges 7:2
How Did God Test Gideon’s Faith?
- The Fear Test
“Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.” —Judges 7:3
- The Water Test
“And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.’ So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men.” —Judges 7:6-8
What Was God’s Purposes for Testing His Faith?
- He wanted Gideon to rely in His power and not His own!
- He wanted him to experience His strengthening grace.
“That same night the Lord said to him, ‘Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.’” —Judges 7:9
As followers of Jesus we can be assured of at least six things when we go through testing:
- Assurance of answered prayer - John 16:24
- Assurance of His presence – Psalm 34:17-18
- Assurance of grace – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
- Assurance that God is up to good things – Romans 8:28
- Assurance of guidance – Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” —Proverbs 3:5-6
“Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” —Judges 7:15
- He wanted him to experience victory as result of faith and obedience.
‘When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled…” —Judges 7:22
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” —Hebrews 11:6
- God wanted to show the Israelites and Gideon that He was all that they needed.
“As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side,” —Judges 8:33-34
“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” —Colossians 2:9-10