Gideon; Man of Doubt, Man of Fear, Man of Faith?Sample

Equipped by God's Spirit

“The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon.” (Judges 6:34)

Once again, an army of Midianites, Amalekites, and other peoples from the east enters the land of Israel to plunder it. This is the moment for Gideon to strike! But he doesn't have to do it with his strength. The Spirit of the Lord equips him. He empowers him to act as a leader. Gideon assembles an army to attack the enemy, and the men called to the battle join him. They respect Gideon's leadership, even though his clansmen had demanded his death after he destroyed the altar of their idol.

Gideon is not the only one equipped by God's Spirit for his task. The same happened to other leaders, for example, Othniel (Judges 3:9-10), Samson (Judges 13:24-25; 14:6), and King David (1 Samuel 6:10-13). God's Spirit gave them the extraordinary courage, wisdom, and strength to lead the people and fight the battle against the enemy.

After the Lord Jesus was on Earth and returned to heaven, He poured out the Holy Spirit even more abundantly. Every believer is equipped by Him - not always for a special task, but for a life to God's glory and the battle against sin and Satan.

Is God's Spirit a reality for you? How does that manifest itself concretely in your life? For what has He equipped you?