EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers should trust God when being called upon to take a specific action for Him.
15 He said to him,
“Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel?
Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s family.”
16 “But I will be with you,” the Lord said to him.
“You will strike Midian down as if it were one man.”
I will be with you.
Discuss what that meant for Gideon. Discuss what that means for believers today.
Discuss the differences between Gideon’s feelings of inadequacy
and the presence of the Lord.
Share this truth:
From Gideon’s point of view, he did not have the credentials
or the ability to deliver Israel.
However, the Lord supplied Gideon everything he needed to accomplish God’s will,
saying, “But I will be with you.”
The Lord’s presence was everything Gideon would need
to strike down the entire host of Midianites as if they were but one man. (PSG, p. 89)
thank God that He is always with you
and that He empowers you to accomplish
the things He calls you to do.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 90 of the Personal Study Guide:
Call for a few volunteers to share which statement resonates most deeply with them. Challenge the group to identify experiences with both undesirable consequences as well as experiences of God doing great things through them.
Guide the group to discuss the first question set on page 90 of the PSG. Lead a brief discussion on how believers can point one another toward the truth that God will use them and empower them for
His glory.
Give adults a few minutes to read and reflect on the second question set on page 90 of the PSG. Suggest they write down one or two reasons trusting God is hard for them in the margins of their PSG. Encourage them to pray through those issues during the week ahead.
Close in prayer, asking God to empower the group to trust Him when He calls them to do something.
Reinforce the session by sending a text or email to the group with the message: “‘I am with you,’ says the Lord.” Remind them that this is part of the memory verse for this session. Encourage them to continue reflecting on this verse and memorizing it during the week. Challenge the group to be on the lookout for situations where God is working around them and through them this week.
The Holy Spirit enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. (See Judges 14:6; Acts 1:8.)
Do a word study to gain a better understanding of a passage.
Scripture is full of “calling” experiences where God selected servants to carry out kingdom work. Study the following passages: Genesis 12:1-4; Exodus 3-4; 1 Kings 19:19-21; Isaiah 6:1-9; Jeremiah 1; Jonah 1;
Luke 1:26-38; Mark 1:16-20; and Acts 9:1-9. Identify similarities and differences. Note the particular ways each person was called and how they responded. Examine your own calling from God. Have you experienced a specific call from Him? How have you responded?