Dear Shannon, Don’t Give Up Now!
She was acknowledging for the first time that her life matters, and that her choices and actions have the potential to ripple in ways far greater than she thought possible. I had never met Shannon before, but her story was fascinating and our unexpected conversation had me absolutely intrigued. I was listening while she verbally considered the possibility that her moments on earth are all tallied for extravagant purposes. Her eyes were weary, but she kept repeating the words: “You know, I think something is changing…” As she spoke all I could think was: “Shannon, you are so close to a whole new perspective of your life, please don’t give up now!”
God has sketches and blueprints for your life too. He has plotted out your efforts magnificently, and He knows the impact He longs to bring about through you. However, when you can’t see even the faint glimmer of an outline ahead, it can be so tempting to slump down, lose heart and give up. In the Bible, Gideon was also an ordinary man who experienced disappointment, uncertainty and doubt. However, when God asked him to take steps of faith, He did it – trust that God would do what He promised.
In the story of Gideon’s famous conquest of the Midianites in Judges chapters 6 through 8, there are three key moments leading up to Gideon’s unbelievable success when he must have felt extreme doubt.
Gideon couldn’t see the triumph ahead of him when an Angel of The Lord appeared to him. The Angel came on a day Gideon was simply going about his business, threshing wheat in a wine press. The Angel of The Lord called him a Mighty Man Of Valour and promised to bring deliverance to the Israelites through him. God affirmed Gideon’s identity as Mighty Warrior and promised to do miracles through Gideon’s life.
However, the road to Israel’s great invasion required Gideon to exercise profound faith.
Gideon would have been tempted to doubt God and abandon his mission when:
The Israelites wanted to kill him because he destroyed the idols the Israelites had been worshipping (Judges 6:30).
When 22,000 men abandon the mission because they were afraid (Judges 7:3).
When only 300 men remained in His army because they proved to be worthy (Judges 7:6).
Soon and very soon, the supernatural hand of God intervened and when Gideon led his men into the Midianite camp this is what happened: “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath” (Judges 7:22).
Can you imagine if Gideon had given up in the face of confusion?
Shannon was also facing confusion, unanswered questions and significant disappointments. However, on that day I sat listening to her, she began to murmur about a butterfly. She said: “Isn’t there a story about a butterfly flapping it’s wings and causing massive weather disturbances across the globe? Maybe one life matters more than we will ever know.”
Yes, Shannon. Your life matters more than you will ever know. Your small choices are interwoven into the tapestry of a million others and you have the power to affect change that will echo through the chasms of time – for all of eternity. The God of Israel, who was the God on Calvary, is the God of your destiny. Let your next step of faith travel through the feelings of doubt to find life that is truly life. Dear Shannon, don’t give up now!
“In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age,
so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
– 1 Timothy 6:19
