Do we really understand that God knows us completely? Take a lesson from Gideon.

Judges 7:9-11 – During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward you will be encouraged to attack the camp.”

I love how God knows that Gideon is afraid and sets out to encourage him immediately. It’s remarkable to me that Gideon is honest with God about having fear. There is a lesson there. I don’t read anything here about him hem-hawing around. He simply takes God up on his offer and makes use of God’s provision to still his fear (Purah). He obeys.

I also love that God includes another person to go with Gideon. What a privilege it is to have someone to walk with us through life, especially while walking through fear. That’s part of the beauty of the church. Though I wonder what Purah had to say about that. There is nothing recorded about his response, but I assume it was something like – Excuse me?

Purah went with him. Who are you walking through life with?

Now, God has never told me to go down and attack a camp, but he has told me to do things that he made easier for me by providing a friend to be by my side. Even in my writing, God provided a friend who was a little farther down the road to help me set up a blog. When I was up to my neck in teenagers, God had friends for me to talk with, pray with, laugh with, and cry with. When I need someone to talk to about the enormity or the minutia of life, they are there.

There have been times in my life when I was kind of in between close friendships. Times when God took us in different directions geographically and otherwise. Those were lonely times. I had other friends, but not that friend or two who is close like a sister. At one point I cried out to God for a buddy. Before you think me too spiritual, that was a result of my husband Bob saying, “You need to ask God for a friend. He is ready to meet that need for you.” (Actually it was probably more like, “You’re driving me crazy. Please God, send her a girlfriend to do girl stuff with.”)

God answered my prayer very specifically. He gave me names of two people to pursue and I did. Those people didn’t have a chance because God was at work, and they are two of my closest friends to this day.

I hope you have friends like that. You need them. If you don’t, ask God for that kind of friend and watch what he will do.

Until we meet again,

Bonnie