“Pardon me, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Judges 6:15 NIV
When the angel of the Lord called Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites, Gideon hesitated. He focused on his family’s poverty and his own low status. He said, “I am the least in my father’s house.” Gideon felt unqualified and weak. This moment shows a common human struggle: we often doubt ourselves when God asks us to do something greater than we feel capable of.
Gideon was not alone in feeling inadequate. Moses reacted similarly at the burning bush, asking, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” He focused on his weaknesses instead of God’s power. Jeremiah also hesitated. God called him to speak to the nations, and he replied, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” Yet God reassured both Moses and Jeremiah.
Paul later explained the principle in 1 Corinthians 1:27: “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” Gideon, Moses, Jeremiah, and Paul all illustrate that God uses human weakness to display His strength.
Judges 6:15 teaches that our weaknesses do not disqualify us. While Gideon called himself “the least,” God called him “mighty warrior.” This contrast reminds us that God defines our identity, not our self-perception or social status.
When Gideon obeyed God, he led Israel into battle with just three hundred men. The victory proved that God’s power, not human strength, brings success. Our weaknesses can become the stage for God’s glory.
What excuses do you give yourself, thinking you are insufficient? Gideon’s story shows that these doubts cannot stand against God’s grace. Our weaknesses do not limit him. The real question is whether we will accept His grace and trust Him to work through us.
Living It Out
So, when you feel too small or unqualified, remember Gideon. Remember Moses, Jeremiah, and Paul. God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. When you ask, “But Lord, how can I?”—trust that His power is sufficient, and His presence goes with you.