God is an expert at building our faith. He knows that without faith, our lives cannot please Him (Heb. 11:6). So God has a plethora of ways to strengthen our trust in him.
We might be quick to dismiss the timid Gideon for requiring yet one more sign from God before he marched into battle. After all, he had already met face to face with the angel of God, had heard God speak to him, and had watched his sacrifice miraculously consumed by fire. Nonetheless, at this critical juncture in his nation’s history, the timid farmer was determined to make sure he was in the center of God’s will. There was too much at stake to make a mistake. Too many people would lose their lives if Gideon led on his agenda instead of God’s.
God was patient with Gideon. He knew how much hung in the balance for His people. God wanted Gideon to succeed more than Gideon did! Ultimately Gideon became convinced he was in God’s will. And, once the farmer knew he was doing what God had asked, and that God would go with him, he was unstoppable.