September 27, 2026: "Where is the Evidence?"
By: Pastor Joel Philbrook
Consider this...
Gideon’s story reminds us that doubt isn’t a sign that something is wrong with us; it’s often a sign that something is growing in us. Gideon wasn’t a spiritual superhero; he was insecure, afraid, and constantly looking for evidence that God was actually with him. He poked God with a stick again and again, asking for proof, and God didn’t shame him for it. Instead, God worked with him. God met Gideon in the winepress, not on the mountaintop. He called Gideon a “mighty warrior” long before Gideon ever acted like one. Maybe the evidence we’re looking for isn’t found in God removing our fear, but in God staying with us through it. Maybe the unanswered prayers aren’t God ignoring us; they’re God maturing us.
Gideon’s need for proof didn’t make him strong; God’s patience did. The thinning of the army didn’t make Gideon confident; God’s presence did. And the same is true for us. When life feels like a cave, when prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling, when we’re tempted to think God shows up for everyone else but us, those moments might actually be the soil where real trust begins to grow. God doesn’t wait for us to become mighty warriors before He calls us one. He simply asks us to take one small step of faith, even if doubt is still whispering in the background.