God loves to humble big shots and save the little guy or girl. He loves to show himself to be strong when we are weak. This is true in the story of Gideon. The Midianites were big shots and really bad people. They stole Israel’s food and animals. Israel was brought low. And they did what humble people do: they “cried out for help to the Lord” (Judg. 6:6). Judge Gideon was God’s answer to their prayer.

But when God first found him, Gideon was a scaredy-cat. He was hiding from Israel’s enemies. The Lord said to him, “I am with you. Go and save Israel from the cruel Midianites” (see 6:12–13). But he was still scared. “Lord,” he said, “How can I save Israel? I come from the weakest family, and I am the weakest person in my family? You’ve got the wrong guy” (see 6:15). But the Lord replied again, “Don’t worry, I will be with you.”

Gideon agreed to lead, but he was still scared. One night, God asked him to tear down an altar to a false idol and build in its place an altar for him. Gideon did that, but only with the cover of night. He didn’t want anyone to catch him. Another night, he asked God for a sign that he would be with him. He placed his coat made of sheep’s wool (a fleece) on the ground. “God,” he said, “If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand” (6:37). Sure enough, the next morning the fleece was wet and the ground dry. But Gideon was still afraid to fight the Midianites. “Um, Lord, how about the same sign in reverse?” God was gracious again. The next morning the fleece was dry and the ground wet. God was kind to weak Gideon, because God was going to work through him to show everyone that God is strong.

Gideon gathered a huge army. But God wanted a little army to do big things so that God would show that he—not Gideon or his army—was the real warrior. So, God gave Gideon a plan to take his huge army and make it small. They went from twenty-two thousand men to three hundred. That’s a lot smaller! But when this tiny army blew their trumpets and smashed their jars, the mighty Midianites got scared and ran away. Gideon’s army chased them down and conquered them. A total victory for God and his people!