Me, A Mighty Hero?

“The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the Lord is with you’” (Judges 6:12 NLT).

“You need to be brave like Gideon.” That’s what I heard God say.

“Who… me?” I replied, then tried to busy myself.

Maybe He’ll go away.

But, of course, God doesn’t go away; in fact, He never leaves or forsakes us, and this was no exception. He repeated, “You need to be brave, like Gideon.”

This must be serious.

Still, I argued. “But Father, I’m not courageous like Gideon. In fact, I’m actually more like—”

“Gideon,” God interrupted, before continuing, “Remember, he wasn’t always brave. In truth, he considered himself the least of the least of the least among his people. But he was obedient. Gideon trusted the angel of the Lord to act on his behalf, even when he wasn’t sure he had what it would require or what the outcome would be. And what did that mean?”

“Gideon was… courageous?” I mumbled, though more a question than a definitive statement. Perhaps I needed to refresh my memory by rereading Gideon’s story.

And you know what? It was right there, in Judges six, verse twelve. Gideon, son of Joash of the clan of Abiezer, was threshing wheat while in hiding from the Israelites’ enemy, the Midianites. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you.”

Hmm. Mighty hero?

But that’s what the angel called him, even before he’d demonstrated a single valiant act or taken one courageous step. Maybe God was serious after all.

Even though I feared what He might say, I inquired, “But Father, how am I supposed to demonstrate courage?”

Once again, God directed me to His Word. “What did the prophet who came in response to the Israelites’ prayer do?”

What did he do?

I read the passage again. Seems God wanted the prophet to remind His people how He’d shown up for them in the past—how He’d rescued them—and God offered an exhortation as well, telling them to turn from their idolatry.

“I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt. I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land. I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened…” (6:8-10).

I silently pondered this passage, wondering how it applied to me—to God’s call for me to act with courage. Finally, “Okay, Father. Forgive me if I’ve failed to steward my gift in a manner that glorifies you and benefits others. I know You’ve called me to write, but sometimes I’m… afraid.”

Boy, wasn’t that the truth. Questions like, What if I make people angry? or What if some don’t agree with me? or What if I lose friends? swirled in my mind, making my heart pound. But then—

“What matters most is whether I’m pleased. I’ve given you a story—fully equipping you to tell it. So… tell it.”

******

This line of conversation with my heavenly Father happened nearly two decades ago, and I’m sorry to say—even after this—I wasn’t always faithful. Indeed, sometimes I failed. Failed to put words on the page. Failed to be…

Brave.

But God is merciful and kind. He’d often remind me of all He had done on my behalf in the past—how He’d brought me through years of infertility, promising me through His Word that good things were in store. That He would use my story to encourage others. And yes, that I would one day be a mom.

God also reminded me of the love I have for our three adopted children’s birth moms—emphasizing how they were honored because they chose life for their babies rather than taking a more convenient route by terminating their unplanned pregnancies.

And God reminded me, too, that it was Him who instilled in me a passion for the unborn—bringing to mind, time and time again, Psalm 139—

“You made the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (vv. 13-16 NLT).

But, even with all the encouragements—those reminders to reflect on my stones of remembrance—God also convicted me of sin, just as He’d done in the days of Gideon.

“You’re not placing Me first,” He’d sometimes say. “You’ve forsaken your first love, putting others in higher priority, caring more what they think of you than what I think of you. Return to Me, and find rest for your weary, anxious soul.”

Isn’t God so good?

Even when He convicts us—revealing sin in our lives—He does so with mercy and grace, always with love which leads to our repentance.

It took many years from the time He first called me to be courageous until I finally began writing the story He’d placed on my heart—a story whose male protagonist is aptly named…

Gideon.

It was as if God was teaching me more about me by writing a work of fiction that wove bits and pieces of others’ stories throughout—their acts of courage in the face of hardship, when choosing the easy route may have been more convenient but certainly would have had lasting consequences.

Yes, Gideon’s Book is a story whose themes aren’t merely controversial but—by choosing God’s way over the way of the world—prove consequential, perhaps even life-saving.

It’s my hope this story will stir healthy conversation concerning both abortion and adoption, as well as point readers to acknowledge God’s redemptive nature and His heart for reconciliation. Above all, it’s a story about our always faithful, never changing God and the power of His perfect, eternal Word.

A lamp to our feet. A light to our path.

Some days I still feel less than brave, but you know what? God has given me a rich history, woven with examples too many to count depicting His constant presence in my life. Yes, how He has shown up time and time again.

Indeed, God calls me courageous even before I demonstrate bravery, just like He did for Gideon—saying, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”

And that, dear friends—no matter what we’re called to do—is always…

Enough.

Father, help me be brave in a world that often shouts messages contrary to what we discover in Your Word. I know I can’t be courageous without You, but You promise to be with me. And that settles it! Amen.

Questions:

1. Have you heard a specific call from the Lord to be brave? What steps can you take to walk in obedience, beginning today?

2. Have you ever obeyed the Lord’s call to act with courage only to come up against opposition? How did you handle the situation?

3. What are your favorite passages of scripture to wield as your “sword of the Spirit” in the battle to be brave? Try adding some to your arsenal.