The angel of Yahweh appeared to him, and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor.
One thing is noteworthy, namely, that Gideon’s greatest fear arose out of a sign which he had himself asked for. He said, “﻿Show me a sign,﻿” and when he had that sign, namely, God’s coming to him, then it was that he was afraid. Be very chary how you ask for signs; for they may work your discouragement rather than your comfort. I have known some say, “﻿I shall not believe I am a child of God unless I feel a deep sense of sin,﻿” and when they have entered into that feeling they have exclaimed, “﻿I will never again ask for this.﻿” I have heard of others who thought they could come to Christ if they were gently drawn; and the Lord has been gently drawing them, and then they have wished that they had been more troubled and distressed. They imagine that they could have believed more readily had their despair been greater a strange notion certainly. We are every busy in manufacturing fresh doubts, and for raw material we use the very tokens for which we so earnestly besought the Lord. We cry aloud, “﻿Show me a token for good,﻿” and when the token is given we are amazed at being heard, and fall to fearing more sadly than before. Therefore pray for such boons with bated breath, and say twice over concerning such things, “﻿Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.﻿”
