Have you ever been in the place where Gideon was where everything looks bleak? The Israelites were sorely oppressed. When Gideon experiences a miraculous event, he is initially deeply cynical. There are many cynical people in our society who will not believe any promises of something good happening and most of us are far from being oppressed to the point of starvation. How would you respond if someone you did not know came and called you a “strong warrior”? Would you respond with a smart response?