For those that read my blog regularly, you know I’ve been taking classes. I’m happy to say I passed my course even though it was so difficult for me since I have very little knowledge of biblical history. I am so relieved I chose to persevere when I wanted to quit so often. That’s how I can describe my life before choosing to follow God, I was a quitter. If this wheelchair has taught me anything, it’s taught me to persevere. Even so, I can still doubt God.
The last couple of weeks when I was preparing a paper that covered everything that we learned throughout the eight-week course, I started to question God. My insomnia was terrible and I was getting between one and 4 hours of sleep each night. I often asked God, “why aren’t you helping me??” The insomnia is something I pray about continuously and it’s never been completely “cured.” On top of that, my neck and shoulder pain were exacerbated because of everything that was happening, so with the added lack of sleep, it was difficult to concentrate. My faith waned from day to day.
Just when I felt like I was going to snap, I ran across an unsung hero named Gideon. You probably also know of him. I’d like to tell you his story because it might inspire you to keep putting one foot in front of the other in your walk with God, the way it did me.
Judges 6: 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
13 “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 us 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 hand of Midian.”
14 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?”
15 “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.”
16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
At the time the Lord called Gideon, the Israelites were being severely oppressed by the Midianites. It was so bad that when the Israelites planted seed, the Midianites and other opposing groups would destroy the crops, leaving no sheep, ox, or donkey, or any sustenance in the land for the Israelites. Gideon’s people were in hiding and were greatly impoverished (Judges 6:1-6).
Gideon had a job to do and the Lord made it clear he was sending him, despite his weak clan and his lowliness within his family. In v. 14, the Lord simply said, “go in the strength you have,” and later in v. 16, “I will be with you.” Gideon didn’t feel confident at the time he was called. He probably didn’t see a way out of the war zone he was living in. That must be why God called him a mighty warrior. He needed the reassurance.
We are all Gideons. We all have times when we feel like we’re at war with other people or with the devil. Other times we just feel weak and don’t have the energy or the motivation to keep going. I get it. Even though I read about Gideon and it inspired me to keep going, my life is still not easy. It never will be, but so many of you can relate to this struggle. We all have a difficult race to run, at times, but God gives us what we individually need.
Last night I once again only got four hours of sleep, but this morning I decided to write this blog, and with God’s help, I feel empowered to get through another day. Tomorrow I will start over. It doesn’t matter if I’m walking, limping, or crawling, I will go in the strength I have, and God will be with me and accomplish whatever purpose he has for me that day.
I’m quite certain he will do the same for you, mighty warrior.
Amen.
Diary of a Quadriplegic 
Terri, thank you for encouraging all of us once again. I smile when I see a new blog post from you in my inbox. I especially devoured this post because our newest family member, my grandson, who is just over one month old, is named Connor Gideon. I love you and I miss you! Thank you for reminding me to go in the strength that I have today.
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Oh yes! Sweet Gideon! What a wonderful name.
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Thank you, Terri, for this important post about persevering under the worst of conditions. We indeed are Gideons, always having to rely on God giving us His strength that we can carry on. May the Lord bless you richly throughout your various challenges, and may he continue to give you strength — and more sleep!
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I love the way God calls Gideon “mighty warrior” as he’s hiding from the Midianites. 😉 Apparently God sees things in us that we can’t see – yet.
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Thank you for sharing such inspiration, my sweet, incredibly wise friend. I read your blog post to Russ, as I always do and thought you should know how profoundly inspiring your biblical insights are to him as he continues his uphill daily journey in stroke recovery. And I also wanted you to know that the first words out of my mouth this morning was a prayer for you. I awoke around 5a with an itchy nose, and as I scratched it I was reminded of you telling me that you have to ask an aide to scratch your nose. I prayed for the Lord to help you today especially.
Love you and miss you’
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Thank you Terri, as you continue to exhibit extreme faith in Jesus, and strength to carry on. You are a tremendous blessing, and I am so thankful for you.
I just read of Gideon yesterday. As I read, I said to myself, “ Who am I to doubt when God calls me a mighty warrior, or when He says He is with me”, but of course I do.
Gideon doubted himself, but obeyed God and was successful, because he knew God was his strength.
Today I read of Samson. What a contrast, Samson had physical strength, which God gave him, but had no inner, moral, Godly strength to follow through serving God as a Nazarite.
You are definitely a Gideon Warrior type Terri, Glorifying Jesus in all you are doing.
I am sorry I haven’t read your posts recently. I have been suffering more, and actually reading the Bible for a short while each day, nothing else, falling behind in many things.
Seem to be improving the last few days, (great sunny days here), so hoping to get caught up.
God’s Blessings Good Friend.
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George, I’m so sorry to hear that you are suffering. My heart hurt when I read those words. I will pray for you often. You are on my heart.
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Thank you Terri. I appreciate your prayers and your caring. You are an exceptional person and friend, I am blessed.
I just get those times periodically where I am extremely tired, along with aching, so it is best if I sleep. I know the tiredness goes with my lung disease, so it is not alarming.
I did get good news from the Respirologist this week. The six month, and annual test results are in, and my lungs and heart have not deteriorated from a year ago. God is still providing what I need to get through each day, sometimes it is more rest needed I guess. 😀
My suffering is not near as bad as you suffer. I pray for you to experience the Presence, Power, Provision, Protection Of Jesus, so you fulfill His Purpose, Plan, Potential He has placed within you.
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thank you for always sharing from the walk with God.
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Dear Terro. again the Lord is blessing us with your trials and your witness of His grace to you. He is with us and will continue to strengthen us even if the only strength we have is our faith. I praise Him for His promises and His presence with you in your sleeplessness. Love and blessings.
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I have also been praying for you, Frances. I hope you are well and you are always on my heart. ❤
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Terri, thank you. Blessings.
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What an inspiring post. My life is so easy. I need to be grateful, trust God and not worry, and keep praying for others and all of the needs of this world. Bless you for all you do! 🙏💙🤗
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Thank you, Lisa. We all have challenges in our lives they are just different for each of us. I appreciate you reading and commenting on my post.
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Thank you for accentuating a point easily overlooked, “go in the strength you have.” An encouragement I needed to hear.
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So excited you persevered and finished the course! What a great example of depending on God when he has not taken away the insomnia or neck pain and comparing it to Gideon. This is trusting God above your own needs or fears. So proud of you and your desire to learn the OT, which is needed for all of us.
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We all should be like Gideon, walking testimonies to Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)—
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
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Amen sister, and thank you for forging ahead in your ministry of encouragement. “Refreshing the saints” is a high calling which you faithfully fulfill.
As the Lord empowers you and you testify to others, God is exalted and the body of Christ is strengthened.
Press on Terri, Bob & I continue to pray for you.
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Terri,
Thank you so much for your post. So often, we want to hold back from doing what God has called us to do. I love how God called Gideon when he was at his weakest. Maybe, when we are down and feel like we can’t, we should listen for the encouragement that our Lord is providing us through others, like yourself. Please continue to inspire us through the gifts God has given you..
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You are quite an amazing Woman of God. Your heroic faith shines so brightly and inspires so many! We love you so much and continue to do our best to told you up in prayer! Thank you dear sister!
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Thank you so much, Terri, for this post about Gideon.
Go in the strength that we have. A lot of strength or maybe just a little. I think God is truly glorified in our own hearts when we are weak and have a task (or day) ahead of us that we just can’t handle. Even if nobody knows about it.
Chronic pain wears me down and I feel weak. My vertebrae in my neck have all been fused and I can relate in a small way to your suffering. When I hurt that will be my reminder to pray for relief for you.
When I am trying to fall asleep at night I pray for you to have restful sleep with no nightmares.
You are such a powerful woman in your weakness. God’s mathematics.
I love you dearly. You are always in my heart and mind.
Thank you again for sharing your life with us.
Betsy
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Terri, you are such a great faith coach. Ironically I have a friend who just got a degree in life coaching, but you seem to have far more practical experience and knowledge than most of those in that field nowadays. It takes a lot of courage to persevere. I struggle with depression and it is so much easier to give up. One of my best friends/mentors committed suicide around this time several years ago and it has really affected me although I understand she was emotionally hurting very badly. It takes real strength to keep going and to keep trusting God and to continue running this race of life when there is so much pain in it. The Bible reminds us that our eternity with no more pain in it is well worth this temporary discomfort but still the struggle remains. However I am so thankful for faith coaches/life coaches like you who God is using to encourage us to keep running when we feel so faint. So many of us these days are so weak and dehydrated and God uses you in a mighty way to refresh us with His Word and with your own words of knowledge. Thank you for allowing your pain to be used for His gain and glory. Your honesty and encouragement help keep me and many others focused on the racetrack and not the sidelines. Like Gideon, you are a true God-warrior and faith-hero. I pray your insomnia goes away soon and that you are blessed ten-fold for how much you have blessed me and many others. -Crystal
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Crystal, I am very humbled by all that you have said. I am thankful for my discomfort if it helps others feel more comforted. It’s warriors like you that keep me going by encouraging me along the way. Thank you for your faith and hope in God.
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“I will go in the strength I have, and God will be with me and accomplish whatever purpose he has for me that day.” Yes. A beautiful take-away, Terri. I’m so glad you’re living out your life and faith in our midst, dear friend. We’re blessed to have you in our tribe. Praying for rich, full nights’ sleeps to come. Strange how sleep cycles have seasons, isn’t it.
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so many who have went before us and some still around today suffer greatly with ailments that require a strong desire to grow. I suffer with terrible insomnia also, most of my life it’s been its been a stumbling block. And from it several other ailments have cropped up due to a lack of sleep. I take something on Sat night to help me sleep so I will not fall asleep in church on Sunday. Also something on Wed night because I teach a bible study on Thursday morning, but most of the time I just chose to suffer from it because the meds cloud my mind if I take it too much. Blessings to you.
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