“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.”
—Judges 6:15 NIV

Israel was being oppressed by neighboring nations, and God sent an angel with a message for Gideon, the one he had chosen to deliver his people.

The angel found him hiding in a winepress, fearful of Israel’s enemies. And when he relayed God’s message to Gideon, he tried to convince the angel that he had picked the wrong person.

Gideon, God’s chosen deliverer, was afraid and didn’t believe in himself.

Not exactly the ideal pick for a liberator.

And yet God chose him.

Why?

Perhaps to teach us that Israel’s deliverance didn’t depend on Gideon’s perfection but on one simple fact: the Lord was with him (see Judges 6:16).

In this season of Advent, may the Imperfect Nativity and the story of Gideon remind us that God loves to use less-than-ideal people to write his perfect story.

People like you and me.

And that’s good news.

Here’s a simple prayer to carry with you today:

Breathe in: God of Gideon,
Breathe out: Use me in your story.