06-01-2025 God is with us in every small step of faith.

5 Day Devotional

Day 1: Seeing Yourself as God Sees You

Devotional

Have you ever felt completely inadequate for the task before you? Gideon certainly did. We find him hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat - a picture of fear and insecurity. Yet in this moment of weakness, God sends an angel with an unexpected greeting: "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." What a disconnect! Gideon didn't feel like a warrior. He felt small, afraid, and overwhelmed by circumstances. But God saw something different. God saw potential where Gideon saw limitation. God saw courage where Gideon felt fear. God saw a leader where Gideon saw only a survivor. This disconnect between how we see ourselves and how God sees us is common. We focus on our weaknesses, failures, and inadequacies. Meanwhile, God sees His children, created with purpose, equipped with gifts, and destined for impact. The beautiful truth is that God's perspective isn't wishful thinking - it's the most accurate reality. When God called Gideon a mighty warrior, He wasn't being ironic or speaking of some distant future. He was declaring Gideon's true identity in that very moment, even if Gideon couldn't yet see it himself. Today, remember that God's view of you is more accurate than your own self-perception. Your feelings of inadequacy don't define you - God's declaration does. You are loved, valued, and called to purpose, regardless of how you feel in this moment.

Bible Verse

"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.'" - Judges 6:12

Reflection Question

What areas of your life do you struggle to see from God's perspective, and how might your self-image change if you truly believed how God sees you?

Quote

'When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior.'

Prayer

Lord, help me to see myself through Your eyes today. When I feel weak, remind me that You see strength. When I feel inadequate, remind me that You see potential. Help me to walk in the identity You've given me rather than the limitations I place on myself. Amen.

Day 2: Honest Questions in Times of Doubt

Devotional

Gideon's response to the angel's greeting wasn't gratitude or immediate acceptance. Instead, he asked a brutally honest question that many of us have wondered: "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened?" In the midst of Midianite oppression, Gideon couldn't reconcile God's promised presence with Israel's painful reality. His question wasn't just intellectual curiosity - it was the cry of someone trying to make sense of suffering. Notice God's response. He doesn't rebuke Gideon for questioning. He doesn't demand blind faith. Instead, He engages with Gideon's doubt, providing reassurance and inviting him into a journey of discovery. Many believers feel guilty about their questions and doubts, as if they represent a failure of faith. But Gideon's story shows us that honest questions can actually be stepping stones to deeper relationship with God. When we bring our doubts into the light rather than hiding them, we create space for God to meet us exactly where we are. God is big enough to handle your questions. He's not threatened by your doubts or disappointed in your struggles to understand. In fact, He welcomes the opportunity to reveal Himself more fully to you through them. Today, don't hide your questions from God. Bring them honestly before Him, knowing that your willingness to engage rather than withdraw is itself an act of faith.

Bible Verse

"Pardon me, my lord," Gideon replied, "but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." - Judges 6:13

Reflection Question

What honest questions have you been afraid to bring to God, and what might happen if you voiced them in prayer today?

Quote

'God welcomes our questions. God welcomes our doubts. He wants you to ask those questions. He wants you to bring all of that to Him.'

Prayer

Father, thank You that You welcome my questions and doubts. Help me to bring my confusion and uncertainty to You rather than pulling away. Use my questions to draw me closer to Your heart and deepen my understanding of who You are. Amen.

Day 3: Strength in Weakness

Devotional

When God commissioned Gideon to save Israel, Gideon's immediate response highlighted his inadequacy: "How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." He saw only his limitations, not his potential. God's response is powerful: "Go in the strength you have... Am I not sending you?" God wasn't looking for someone who had it all together. He wasn't searching for the strongest, most confident person in Israel. He chose Gideon - fearful, doubtful, hiding-in-a-winepress Gideon. This pattern appears throughout Scripture. Moses stuttered. David was the overlooked youngest son. Peter was impulsive. Paul persecuted Christians. God consistently chooses the unlikely, the broken, the weak - not despite their weaknesses but often because of them. Why? Because when success comes through weakness, God gets the glory. When the unlikely hero triumphs, everyone knows a greater power must be at work. Your weaknesses, struggles, and inadequacies don't disqualify you from God's service - they might be precisely why He's chosen you. In your areas of greatest weakness, God's strength has the greatest opportunity to shine. Today, instead of hiding your weaknesses or allowing them to sideline you, offer them to God as opportunities for His power to be displayed in your life.

Bible Verse

"The Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?'" - Judges 6:14

Reflection Question

What weakness or limitation have you viewed as disqualifying you from God's service, and how might God want to work through that very weakness?

Quote

"The evidence of God's strength is often found in our weakness. See, in your weakness is where God's strength is going to be."

Prayer

Lord, I surrender my weaknesses to You today. Instead of seeing them as limitations, help me to see them as opportunities for Your strength to be displayed. Use me not because of my strengths but because of Your power working through my inadequacies. Amen.

Day 4: Small Steps of Faith

Devotional

Gideon's journey from fearful farmer to military leader didn't happen overnight. It began with small steps of obedience - preparing an offering for the angel, tearing down his father's idol (albeit under cover of darkness), building an altar to God, and gathering an army. Each step built upon the previous one, gradually strengthening Gideon's faith. Even when his obedience was imperfect - like destroying the idol at night because he was afraid - God honored his willingness to move forward despite his fear. This is how faith typically grows - not in dramatic leaps but in small steps of obedience. We often wait for perfect confidence before acting, but Gideon's story shows that faith develops through action, not before it. God meets us in these small steps. Each act of obedience, however imperfect, becomes evidence of God's faithfulness that we can build upon for the next challenge. The fleece tests that Gideon requested weren't signs of great faith, but God patiently provided confirmation because He understood Gideon's journey. What small step of faith is God asking you to take today? It might be reaching out to someone, forgiving an offense, being generous, or simply spending time in prayer. Don't wait for perfect confidence - take that step, however imperfectly, and watch how God meets you there.

Bible Verse

"That night the LORD said to him, 'Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.'" - Judges 6:25

Reflection Question

What small step of obedience might God be asking you to take today, and what fears or doubts are holding you back from taking it?

Quote

"Gideon obeys the Lord under the COVID of night. It's still. It is still evidence of him taking a step."

Prayer

Father, give me courage to take the next step You're asking of me, even if my faith feels small. Help me to trust that You will meet me in my obedience and use each small step to build my confidence in You. Thank You for Your patience with my imperfect faith. Amen.

Day 5: God's Presence is Enough

Devotional

Throughout Gideon's story, God's consistent promise was simply: "I will be with you." Not "this will be easy" or "you'll never be afraid again" or even "you'll have all the resources you need." Just "I will be with you." This promise was enough to transform a fearful man hiding in a winepress into a leader who would deliver Israel from oppression. God's presence made all the difference. The same promise extends to us today. In our struggles, doubts, and inadequacies, God doesn't always change our circumstances immediately. But He does promise His presence - and that changes everything. With God's presence comes His perspective, helping us see beyond our immediate challenges. With His presence comes His power, enabling us to do what we could never do alone. With His presence comes His peace, sustaining us even when circumstances remain difficult. Gideon's inclusion in Hebrews 11's "Hall of Faith" reminds us that faith isn't about perfect confidence or flawless performance. It's about moving forward with God, one step at a time, trusting that His presence is sufficient for whatever lies ahead. Today, whatever you're facing, remember that God's greatest gift isn't the removal of your challenges but the reality of His presence with you in the midst of them. And that is enough.

Bible Verse

"Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." - Hebrews 11:32-34

Reflection Question

In what situation do you need to experience God's presence more than a change in circumstances, and how might His presence transform your perspective on that challenge?

Quote

'God is with us with every small step of faith.'

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your promise to be with me always. Help me to find comfort and strength in Your presence rather than demanding changes in my circumstances. Let Your presence transform how I see my challenges and give me courage to face them with You by my side. Amen.