By Shawn Blockmon
Have you ever felt like God was calling you into something you were not ready for?
Be honest. Not later. Not when you get yourself together. Not when everything lines up. But right now, in the middle of your uncertainty.
That is exactly how it works.
God will call you before you feel ready.
It can feel like you have been dropped into something unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and bigger than you. Your first thought is not confidence. It is fear. It is the question, “Can I really do this?”
That is where we find Gideon in Judges chapter 6. Israel is under pressure. The enemy is overwhelming them. And Gideon is not out front leading. He is hiding. He is just trying to survive.
And that is where God meets him.
God does not wait for Gideon to step onto a battlefield. He shows up while he is still in hiding and calls him a mighty warrior. Gideon does not feel strong, but God speaks strength anyway. Gideon does not see greatness, but God calls it out of him.
Because God does not call you based on how you see yourself.
He calls you based on what He placed inside of you.
God calls you where you are, not where you are trying to be.
If God waited for you to be ready, you would never move. If He waited for you to fix everything, you would stay stuck. So He calls you right in the middle of your mess, your fear, and your uncertainty.
And when He calls you, your first response will not be confidence. It will be questions.
Gideon said, “If God is with us, why is all this happening?”
Gideon said, “I am the least.”
Gideon said, “My clan (family) is the weakest.”
That is what fear does. It makes you question your calling. It makes you focus on your limitations. It makes you look at your past and doubt your future.
But the issue is not that God picked the wrong person.
The issue is that you are looking at yourself through the wrong lens.
You see limits.
God sees assignment.
And here is something you need to understand. Fear will always show up when you are close to your purpose. The pressure you feel is not random. The resistance you feel is not accidental.
The enemy is not worried about who you used to be.
He is threatened by who you are becoming.
That is why it feels heavy.
That is why it feels uncomfortable.
That is why it feels like a fight.
Because you are standing at the edge of an assignment.
And if the pressure is that strong, the purpose must be that big.
Now here is how Gideon’s story ends.
The same man who was hiding became the one who led. God didn’t give him thousands to fight with. He reduced his army down to just 300 men so there would be no confusion about who was responsible for the victory. And with obedience and trust, Gideon defeated an entire army that once had him in fear.
He did not win because he became fearless.
He won because he trusted God in the middle of his fear.
And that is the encouragement for you today.
You do not have to wait until fear disappears.
You just have to move while God is speaking.
Because the same God who called Gideon is calling you.
And if He called you, He will carry you.
Walk in grace. Stand in truth. Live blessed.
