Paint for yourself a mental picture of courage and I’m confident it will not involve a man hiding in a hole in the ground. And yet God tells us that when He called Gideon (in Judges, chapter 6), hiding is precisely what Gideon was doing. The context of this story makes it clear that Gideon was far better at making excuses than he was at making history. His heart of fear was exposed as soon as he opened his mouth. Like a teenager desperate to get out of cleaning the toilet, we hear Gideon grasping at any facts that will buttress his argument for disobeying God’s call to lead his people out of their captivity. “God, let me explain some realities you may not be aware of and which clearly show I’m not the right person for this messy job…” And no doubt, like Moses with his speech impediment, Gideon was right. He didn’t have what it would take.