The Winepress Measure -by Rev.M.D. Rogers

(Judges 6:12, NIV)

     Gideon, like many of us, doubted his own abilities. He had suffered so many defeats and failures that he even put God to the test--not once but three times.
In the Bible story, Gideon is introduced threshing grain in a winepress, a pit in the ground, so the marauding Midianites did not see him. God appeared to Gideon as an angel and said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." 

     Gideon prepared a meal for the angel. The angel touched the meat and unleavened bread with his staff, and the rock they were sitting on spewed fire, consuming the offering. Then Gideon put out a fleece, a piece of sheep skin with the wool still attached, asking God to cover the fleece with dew overnight, but leave the ground around it dry. God did so. Finally, Gideon asked God to dampen the ground overnight with dew but leave the fleece dry. God did that as well.

     God was patient with Gideon because he had chosen him to defeat the Midianites, who had impoverished the land of Israel with their constant raids.

     Gideon gathered a huge army from the surrounding tribes, but God reduced their number to only 300. There would be no doubt that victory was from the Lord, not from the army's might.

     When we receive victory over our circumstances we too must know it is because of the Lord’s patients with us. Like Gideon there have been times that we could not see God moving in our lives. It seems we are all alone in the time of trouble, but we must walk by faith not by sight.