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b'Gideon hid near the winepress to thresh wheat so that the Midianites\\u2014his enemies\\u2014would not find him and steal the wheat from his hands. But, while Gideon hid, God sent an angel to him, telling him he was to save the Israelites from the Midianites.\\nAmazed, Gideon wondered, \\u201cDoes God know who He\\u2019s talking to?\\u201d Gideon belonged to one of the lowest families of the tribe of Manasseh. He was also the least in his family, the youngest son. Normally, only the oldest son would be chosen for something so important.\\nGod assured Gideon that He was indeed talking to the right person. God would empower him to win this fight.\\nTo reassure Gideon, God even allowed him to ask for a sign. Gideon chose to lay out a dry fleece, asking God to make it soaking wet in the morning, even though the ground was dry. The next day, Gideon asked God to make the ground wet but keep the fleece dry. God answered with a yes both times.\\nTo assure Gideon further, God asked him to sneak down to the enemy\\u2019s camp. Enemy soldiers were discussing their fear that Gideon would defeat them: \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (Judges 7:14).\\nGideon recruited an army of thirty-two thousand soldiers, which God whittled to three hundred men. Amazingly, God used Gideon and that tiny army to protect the people of Israel from their enemies. Gideon even went on to lead the Israelites for forty years.\\nWhen God saved His people from the Midianites, Gideon had nothing to offer: he was fearful, ill-equipped, and the least of his family and tribe. It\\u2019s the same with us. Without Jesus, we can\\u2019t be saved from sin and death. We have nothing more to offer God than Gideon did. Christ accomplished His peoples\\u2019 salvation on His own\\u2014all we have to do is put our faith in Him because He is the One who accomplishes the work (Ephesians 2:8-10). \\u2022 Anna Gregory\\n\\u2022 What are some ways you have seen God use you for His kingdom? \\n\\u2022 Why is it important that God is the One who equips us to do the work?\\n\\u2022 To learn more about putting your faith in Jesus, check out our \\u201cKnow Jesus\\u201d page.\\nFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith\\u2014and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nEphesians 4:11-16'