In the Winepress

[00:00:03] Hi, friends. Chuck Allen here, and welcome back to the weekday podcast. Today I want to talk about another underdog. We've been talking about underdogs the last couple of weeks, and I. I think sometimes we forget this one. He's. He's not the one on the highlight reel. Not the one with the statue in the city square, the underdog nobody noticed. The one hiding, literally hiding underground. Today, let's talk about Gideon. I'll be right back. [00:00:38] Okay, so back to Gideon. [00:00:40] Gideon is found in Judges chapter six. I want you to picture this. The Israelites are being crushed by the Midianites. Crops been stolen, livestock is gone. People are hiding in caves. It's not just bad, it's just stinking hopeless. [00:00:59] And where do we find Gideon? Not on a battlefield, not leading a charge. He's in a winepress, threshing wheat, which, if you know anything about threshing wheat, is like trying to dry out your laundry in a closet. He's hiding because he's afraid, because he's the least in his family, and his family is the weakest in the tribe. They get that. Least in the family, least of the tribe. [00:01:24] He's the bottom rung on the ladder. And then an angel shows up, and he says to him, mighty hero, the Lord is with you. Now, that's in Judges 6:12. Can you imagine Gideon covered in dust, looking around like, who? What me? He even says, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest, and I am the least in my entire family. [00:01:51] But God doesn't see what we see. God sees the heart. God sees the possibility. [00:01:56] God sees what nobody else sees. In Judges 6:14, the Bible says, go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you. [00:02:09] So God sends the angel. The angel calls him mighty hero. The Lord is with you. And Gideon's like, what in the world? And then the angel breaks this out. Go with the strength that you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I'm sending you Gideon's response. I mean, if you are truly going to help me, show me a sign. That's what Gideon does. He's not bold. He's not brimming with faith. He's not abundant with courage. He's anxious, he's unsure. He's an underdog in every sense of the word. But here's the twist. [00:02:47] God delights in the underdog. God loves to take the overlooked, the underestimated, the ones hiding in the winepress, and do something extraordinary. [00:02:57] Not because of their capacity or their strength, not because of their courage or their bravado. I mean, simply because, well, God is strong. [00:03:09] Not because the person has it all together, but because God is with them. [00:03:14] Gideon goes on to lead 300 men. Just 300 against an army as thick as locusts. We find a few chapters later, it was like 165,000. [00:03:24] And they win. Not because Gideon suddenly becomes a superhero, but because he trusted the God who called him out of hiding. [00:03:32] So what does this mean for you today in your own ordinary, maybe even hidden life? [00:03:40] Maybe you feel like the underdog. Maybe you're hiding in your own winepress, overwhelmed, overlooked, under qualified. And maybe you think God only uses the strong, the bold, the ones with the microphone and the ones with the spotlight. [00:03:56] But we know that's not true, right? But what if God's calling you? I mean, like, you right now, right where you are? What if your weakness is the very thing that God wants to use for. For his glory and your good? What if being an underdog isn't a liability, but what if it's an invitation? [00:04:14] Because God's still in the business of calling underdogs. He's in the business of showing up in unlikely places. He's still in the business of turning the least into leaders and the hidden into heroes. [00:04:27] So today, go with the strength that you have, y' all. Listen. Even if it feels small and insignificant, even if you're afraid. [00:04:37] Because God is with you, friend. And that changes everything. [00:04:42] I'm really grateful that you joined Bobby and I on these weekday podcasts, But I just want to give you this thought. [00:04:49] Go in the strength. Not the one that you bank on in your own power, but in the strength of a God who promises to never leave you, never forsake you, and will always provide for you. Because, friend, there he is, just waiting to use you today. [00:05:05] Another Gideon right there in your car or on the treadmill or walking through the park, maybe at your desk. He wants to use you. Thanks, friend. God bless you. Bye. Bye.