The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
Judges 6:11-13

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When I was 12 years old, I held a Bible in my hand and prayed what I would later call a bold prayer. I said, “God, if you are real, I need you to show yourself to me. Anyone can write a book.” I had no idea the magnitude and greatness of the God I prayed to that day. I simply needed Him to show up. 

For the next four years, I would pray that prayer when it came to mind. I wasn’t raised in a religious home, but for some reason, something in my young girl’s heart knew there must be more. 

Gideon was hiding in a winepress when he experienced what we call a Theophany—a fancy term for God visibly showing up. After the conversation in today’s Scriptures, he continues to doubt and wonder if God is really with him and the Israelites. If you keep reading the chapter, you’ll see that God keeps showing up and meeting Gideon’s requests, even in his doubts. God doesn’t grow tired of Gideon’s uncertainties. Instead, He meets him right where he is. 

When I was 16, I sat on a beach the first night of a week-long youth group trip. I looked up at the sky and prayed the same prayer I prayed as a 12-year-old girl. This time, though, I added, “Please, God, send a shooting star, and I’ll know you’re real.” He didn’t send the shooting star. Instead, later in the week, as I went on a walk by myself, He whispered in my ear, “You are loved more than you know. You are mine.” I was ready to settle for a shooting star; all the while, God was planning to send Himself to me. Just as He did with Gideon. 

Doubt is not the opposite of faith. It’s a beautiful indication to encourage us to pray bold, daring prayers. Gideon had difficulty believing he could do what God was calling him to. In his doubts, he went to God, and He gave him sign after sign. I wanted to believe God was real, but I couldn’t get there on my own—so He showed up. He will meet you with Himself there in your doubts, too. 

Next Steps

Are you experiencing a season of doubt? Consider the following:

1. Take all your doubts to God. He can handle them and longs to meet you in them. 
2. If you aren’t already in a group, consider joining one when our next term starts. We aren’t meant to live this life of faith alone, and definitely not when we are doubting. Our faith is often strengthened by the faith of others. 
3. If you are unsure about a group, try a serving team. It’s a wonderful way to connect and build relationships.