Let God be the Hero of Your Story

Liz Hoyt · Tidal Church Moncton · August 30, 2026 · Heroes of the Faith series

Liz Hoyt explores Gideon's story in Judges 6 to 8, with Hebrews 11 as the backdrop. God chooses the weak and fearful so His strength shines, and the message invites us to surrender control and let Him be the hero.

More from Liz Hoyt · The Heroes of the Faith series

Topics: Faith, Fear & Anxiety, Discipleship

Transcript

[0:00] So we are deep in the middle of our Heroes of the Faith series this summer, and we have a lot to cover. So we are going to dive headfirst, deep in, because we are landing on the story of Gideon and making God the hero of your story. So I want to set the stage for today. We're landing in Hebrews 11:32-40, where the writer, Hebrews writer, is speaking to the Jewish community, the Christian community, and encouraging them in their faith. So I read, "And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, who shut the lions' mouths, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

[1:08] Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they could gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something far better for us that only together with us would they be made perfect."

[1:59] I want to backtrack slightly and kind of land a little on verse 33. "Through faith, they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised." This part, "Not through their own will or their hard work, through their faith in God." Because it's not your willpower, it's not your hard work, but God. It's the belief in God's power, not my power, not in what I can do, but in what God can do. The release of my own will to the Father.

[2:49] Can we pray this morning? So, dear Lord, this morning as we jump into Gideon and faith, God, I just pray that if You are speaking to us this morning, that we would be listening. I pray that You would stir our hearts to know more about You because You are a good God. In Your name, amen. So today, we are diving deep into the story of Gideon, and maybe some of you have heard the story of Gideon, maybe some of you have not, and maybe there are those of you who could use a refresher. But Gideon is an underdog. And where the weak guy, the one that everyone is betting on will lose, he comes from behind and gets the gold. It makes for great movies, right? Well, this one's not a great movie, but like "The Tortoise and the Hare," it does make for a good kid story.

[3:39] I've read it to my kids. Many of you have read it to your kids. The tortoise comes from behind and takes the gold. Then, of course, we have "The Karate Kid." Wax on, wax off. The little guy, he comes from behind, and he wins the gold. That picture's going to go on Instagram, I'm thinking. Then there's "The Lord of the Rings," okay? The Hobbit. The Hobbit is given the ring, and he is given the quest to save all of Middle Earth. The Hobbit is a weak, little, unknown little guy from nowhere. The weak guy, the underdog. And all of these stories are basically the story of Gideon. Because he was no hero. He was weak. He had no military prowess. But God chose Gideon despite his deficiencies.

[4:34] Because God wasn't looking for someone who looked strong. God was looking for someone that was willing to trust Him. God uses the weak, He uses the downtrodden, He uses the underdog. Even that's the theme throughout the entire book of the Bible. David and Goliath. We have Moses. Even Jesus was born in a manger. God is in the business of using that which is weak and lowly and not always the strong and elevated. Because without Him, we can do nothing. In John 15:5, it says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." It's a very unpopular opinion, but it says, without Him, we can do nothing. Because when we are weak, He is strong. When our weakness shows, His strength can shine.

[5:45] And we all love a good underdog story, and let's be honest, we all want to be that underdog who kind of comes from behind and steals the gold. We want to be the hero of our own story. We don't want to appear weak. We want to conquer. We want to be bold. No one wants to look weak. We all want to feel like the hero of our own story. But too often we feel defeated, kind of torn down, and instead of letting go and letting God, we push harder. We try new angles and new tactics. We maneuver whatever we can to make it happen. We want to feel in control. We want to make things happen rather than sit back and let an unseen God take care of it.

[6:38] But often, we can't make it happen, and it leaves us feeling unworthy, useless, and weak. But that's okay, because we weren't meant to be the hero of our story. We weren't meant to shine. We were meant to be weak so God can show up. I give you permission today, if you are feeling that way, I give you permission to feel weak and not up to the task, because I know Someone who is. He is up to the task of keeping your life from spinning out of control. And we too often, we try to defeat the demons in our closet. Maybe you're thinking of something right now.

[7:28] And defeating the challenges in our life, and we're doing it all alone in our own strength, and we fail miserably. Actually, we're the underdog. God specializes in using the underdog. But in God's story, it elevates the power of God in me, making God the hero of my story, a testimony of who God is. Like it said, "Through faith, they conquered kingdoms. They administered justice, gained what was promised, not through their own willpower or their hard work, but through their faith in God." So, what are you trying to defeat today? What are you trying to overcome?

[8:14] Could it be addictions to drugs, addiction to alcohol, addiction to pornography? And then maybe that's not something that's for you, but you know what? All of us have something big or small that all of us need God at the center, and all of us have challenges that we're trying to overcome. Gideon, I would say, is one of the most relatable characters in the Bible, and the heroes. He didn't come from greatness. He didn't come from a famous family. He is just a plain, weak man. Gideon was a man. He actually struggled with fear. He doubted his own abilities, and he lived in insecurity. Does anybody relate to that?

[9:02] He questioned. He wasn't brave enough to rush in. He was tentative, and he was questioning. He was real. And how many of us can relate to Gideon? How many of us have struggled with fear or doubts or insecurity? And actually, even today, you might be sitting here and you have something on your mind, an insecurity, something that you're wanting God to take care of. Because we are just ordinary people that can be full of fear and doubt. But you can be used in God's story in a big way. God uses the little guy. Are we looking for God to be the hero in our story?

[9:48] Or are we surrendering our lives to be used in His? God was wanting to use Gideon. So when we're jumping into Judges here, first we just want to take a quick second of where we are in history. The Israelites in Judges, they have fallen away from the Lord. The Lord has given them over to their enemies. They have cried out for help, and God has come back and rescued them. Seven times in the book of Judges, the Israelites do this. And actually, by the time we get to Gideon, we are on number five. And we see the Israelites are being terrorized by the Midianites. And so we look at Judges 6:1-6. "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years He gave them into the hands of the Midianites.

[10:39] Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites actually prepared shelters for themselves and mountain cliffs, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, the Amalekites, and other eastern people invaded the country. They camped on the land, ruined the crops all the way to Gaza, and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep, nor cattle, nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels. They invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help." Once again.

[11:26] Because they were terrorized by the Midianites. They were living in caves and hiding out. And God goes to Gideon. Like, they need a hero. So God goes to Gideon, the weakest member of the family, the weakest clan of the tribe. And it's emphasized here plainly in a second how weak Gideon was. "And an angel of the Lord appears to Gideon. 'Pardon me, my Lord,' Gideon replied, 'but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our ancestors told about when they said, "Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?"'" "But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hands of Midian."

[12:17] The Lord turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" "Pardon me, my Lord," Gideon replied, "But how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The Lord answered, "I will be with you. You will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive." Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in Your eyes, give me a sign that is really You talking to me." All the questions, right? "Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before me." God is asking Gideon to lead an army to defeat the Midianites.

[13:05] Gideon, who was not a man of military prowess. What was God thinking? Actually, can we just pause for a second? I want to just emphasize that often when we are reading the Bible or hearing about the great heroes and characters of the Bible, it's not about David and Moses and Gideon. God is using them, and it's actually all about God. God is the center of all those stories, like He is the center of this story of Gideon. So why is God using the underdog, the weakest link, to play a big part in His story of rescuing Israel? See, we underestimate the man without considering his maker.

[13:56] We look at ourselves and say, "We can't conquer that addiction. I can't just let God find me a job. I can do it." How often has God come to us and we just weren't even listening? How often have we underestimated what our God can do, and we were only looking at what we can do in our flesh? But we are not bound by our earthly condition when God is at the helm. God can do way more if we are willing. And Gideon was willing. But he sure does fight about it. He doesn't go willing. You could say he kind of goes kicking and screaming because he is a man gripped with fear.

[14:43] He's afraid of his family. He's afraid of his community. He's afraid of the Midianites. So bound by fears that Gideon doesn't actually go willingly. But unlike us, I'm sure when God tells us to go and says there's a plan, we all are like, "Of course, God," right? We immediately go, "Yeah. I'm in." Or do we go, "Actually, God, I have this really great plan I've been working on for the last few months. I think this is a good one. Can we talk about this? And then once we've decided what plan we're actually going to do, can You just lay it out step by step so I'm clear on what the plan is going to be? I also would like to talk about our consequences and the cause and effect."

[15:28] We want all the details, right? Right. We don't always need the details. And Gideon did nothing less than that. All the questioning and to help with the plan. He knew God had called him, and yet he listed a bunch of excuses. When the angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, he asks for a sign. Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread that Gideon had brought to him with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared up from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread, and the angel of the Lord disappeared. When Gideon realized it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, "Alas, Sovereign Lord, I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face."

[16:22] So what was the hero's first duty? It was to tear down the town's idol to Baal. It was the first step in helping Israel turn back to God. We continue. That same night, the Lord said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering." So Gideon took 10 of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and his town people, he did it at night rather than in the daylight.

[17:14] So instead of doing it in the daylight where all could see, he obeyed, but he stealthily pulled it down at night. He accomplished what God asked him to, but still, he did it in fear. He was brave, even though a little squeamish. So still Gideon has questions. It wasn't enough that an angel of the Lord appeared to him. He wanted more reassurance that this is what God had asked of him. So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have promised, look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know You will save Israel by my hand, as You said."

[18:04] And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day. He squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew, a whole bowl full of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Okay, don't be angry with me, but let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time, make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew." That night, God did so. Only the fleece was dry, all the ground was covered with dew. So Gideon, he went and he gathered his army of 32,000 men, which I thought was reasonable. To go fight an army, you need an army, 32,000 men.

[18:52] But God had other plans. See, remember at the beginning of the story, again, it is emphasized how weak Gideon is. And God makes Gideon even weaker just to prove a point. Just to make sure it wasn't Gideon that stole the glory, but given to God Himself. Seeing the theme here? God wasn't looking for Gideon to be stronger and wiser. He wasn't looking to pull from Gideon's resources. He was wanting to pull from His own. We continue in Judges 7:2-3. "The Lord said to Gideon, 'You have too many men.

[19:40] I cannot deliver Midian into their hands or Israel would boast against Me. My own strength has saved me. Now announce to the army, anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' So 22,000 men left, while 10,000 remained." So 10,000 remained, but God still thought there was too many. We continue. "But the Lord said to Gideon, 'There are still too many men. Take them down to the water and I will thin them out for you there. If I say this one shall go with you, he shall go. But if I say this one shall not go with you, he shall not go.' So Gideon took the men down to the water.

[20:27] Then the Lord told him, 'Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.' 300 of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs, and all the rest got down on their knees to drink. The Lord said to Gideon, 'With the 300 men that lapped, I will save you.' So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home, but kept the 300 to who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others." So what can one man do with 300 men? Actually, no. The question should be, what can God do with 300 men?

[21:16] What can God do with the weakest man? What can God do with a man full of fear and questions? What can God do with my broken relationships? What can God do with my lack of job? What can God do when my life is out of control? What can God do with me? What can God do with you? God can turn your weakness into strength. He is calling each and every one of you. He isn't just calling the ones that you think are the strongest and most devout Christians in the room. He is calling you right now, where you are, where you're at in life.

[22:03] He's calling you to give over that relationship, that addiction you can't shake, and give it all over to Him and let Him take care of it. He is calling you to reach out to your neighbor and make a godly difference in your city. He is calling you, the unequipped, the weak, and the unexpected, because without Him, we are nothing. But with Him, we can do great things. Because with 300 men, Israel wasn't patting themselves on the back saying, "Look at us. What a great job we just did." But they were saying, "Look what God can do."

[22:50] Our thinking is often too small-minded by what we think we can do, not personified, but what God can do. If God can conquer an entire army with one weak man as a leader, 300 soldiers and a bunch of trumpets, what can God do with you? Gideon wasn't done with his questions, of course. As we continue in Judges 7:9. "During that night, the Lord said to Gideon, 'Get up. Go down against the camp because I'm 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.

[23:37] After, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.'" I thought this was very gracious of God. After all the questions, He's like, "Yeah, no, I know. I got you. Go down and check this out." "So he and Purah, his servant, went down to the outpost of the camp. The Amalekites, the Midianites, and all the other eastern people that had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could be no more counted than the sand of the seashore." So God arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, and it struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands."

[24:33] When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into our hands." Dividing the 300 men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them. He did not place swords and spears. Trumpets and empty jars with torches inside. "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp, blow yours and shout, 'For the Lord and for Gideon!'" Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard.

[25:28] They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hand. The three companies blew the trumpets, smashed the jars, and grasping the torches in their left hands, holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon." While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. Because God didn't use swords and force, He used weak, He used the unaccomplished, He used the unexpected. Gideon's weakness and the weakness of his army was actually an opportunity for God to show up and show His strength.

[26:19] Because our weakness is an opportunity for God to give you life. Our weakness is an opportunity for you to let go and let God. To give up control and allow God to take care of it. He has a much better plan than you do. He has more resources, and He can do much with little. 2 Corinthians 12:9, what does it say? "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Gideon's uncertainty and questions were an opportunity for God to prove Himself and to teach us who He is.

[27:11] When we no longer can do it on our own, when we no longer can take it, ask God. He will answer. And Gideon's lack of military expertise was an opportunity for God to provide His own brilliant strategy. We think we know what's best. We think we have the perfect plan. Right now, actually even right now, are you strategizing what you can do this week to pull your family together? To put your life back to rights and to get back on track? Let me tell you, God's plan is way better than the one you've got planned, if we're willing.

[28:00] See, God used Gideon. God did not fail Gideon, and He will not fail you. Because your faith in God is your greatest strength. Making God the hero of your story can be your greatest accomplishment. I say it again. Your faith in God, that's your greatest strength. And making God the hero of your story can be your greatest accomplishment. Because as it says in John 15:5, "Apart from Me," apart from God, "we can do nothing." And when we let go and let God, He can do great things in us, around us, through us.

[28:51] Your faith in God is your greatest strength. Your faith is your willingness to surrender every aspect of your life. And when our human pride is shattered and God is then the undisputed hero, when we allow God to be glorified as He should, that is your greatest accomplishment: making God the hero of your story. Our pride, our self-reliance, and our desire to fix everything in our own strength, actually, it needs to be broken. And I will finish with this, because actually, we didn't completely tie up the story of Gideon.

[29:39] Though God used him to deliver an entire nation, Gideon actually lost his focus. We are in chapter 8. The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson, because you have saved us from the hand of Midian." But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you." But this is where he stumbles. And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was a custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) So they gave him some gold. "And Gideon made the gold into an ephod, an idol, which he placed in Ophrah, his town.

[30:30] And all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there. And it became a snare to Gideon and his family." Because nothing can destroy us like our own success. Remember, we do it in God's strength, not our own. Because God, He can conquer the demons in your life. He doesn't need you to be stronger. He actually needs you to be weak, humble, and willing to let go and to let God. Because as I've said, it's not about us, it's about Him.

[31:19] And when we make it all about us, we end up in the same situation as Gideon did. His pride got in the way and he stumbled. Maybe there's something in your life that you don't feel you're strong enough to defeat. Addiction, anger, anxiety, broken relationships. We all, every one of us, has something that sometimes we feel is winning. Sometimes there is something that we just can't defeat on our own. But God can. Not your own will, not your hard work, but God.

[32:05] Not your control, not your best plans, but God. Not you, but God. The belief is in God's power, not my power. Not in what I can do, but in what God can do. The release of my own will to the will of my Father. Can we pray now? So God, we thank You that You loved us enough, that You loved Gideon enough, that You would answer his questions, and You gave him the signs. And God, I just pray that You would give us courage to let go of whatever we're trying to keep control of.

[32:56] Help us to realize that Your plan is good. And we may not know it, we may not see it, we may not understand it, but God, You do. And when I allow my weakness to shine, Your strength gets all the glory. God, we thank You for these things. In Jesus' name, amen.