I Wouldn't Have Done it That Way
DEVOTIONS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS
I Wouldn’t Have Done it That Way
What are your first thoughts when you see the house above? (Yes, that’s the front of the house, not the backyard.)
It looks like something straight out of a Pixar movie, or a Dr. Seuss book... or maybe a prime candidate for a “landscaping fails” meme.
I took this picture a few days ago. Perched high above a nearby seaside neighborhood, this home should have a perfect panoramic ocean view—if not for the obvious. I can’t help but wonder: What’s the real story here? Seriously, what’s up with the tree?! So many questions, but ultimately I come to the same general conclusion:
“I wouldn’t have done it that way.”
We’re often quick to assume something’s wrong simply because it doesn’t look the way we expected. Is this how we tend to think about God when things in our lives don’t look right? If you’ve ever walked through a season that didn’t match your expectations, it’s tempting to question the Creator of the blueprint.
Throughout Scripture, we see faithful people facing situations that seem confusing or even illogical, yet God was present and purposeful in every moment. One example is Gideon, who wrestled with doubt, questions, and fear when God’s plan didn’t make sense to him.
God’s Unexpected Strategy
In Judges 6-7, we find Israel suffering under the oppressive rule of the Midianites. In response to their cries for help, the Lord raised up Gideon to fight the massive Midianite army of 135,000 men (Judges 8:10). Although Gideon managed to assemble a respectable force of 32,000 warriors, they remained vastly outnumbered and under-equipped. Yet, before a single sword was drawn, God gave Gideon a surprising and seemingly counterintuitive command: You have too many men.
Wait, what?! Israel was already outnumbered 4 to 1! But in obedience (and likely with significant hesitation), Gideon announced that anyone who was afraid to fight could leave. Remarkably, 22,000 men walked away.
God looked at the remaining 10,000 soldiers and said: That’s still too many! So Gideon’s army was narrowed again until only 300 men remained.
Imagine being part of this scenario... watching your fighting force shrink from 32,000 to 300. Would we have questioned the plan or wished things were different? Of course! From a human perspective, it was a recipe for disaster — a guaranteed defeat! But this was God’s plan, not Gideon’s. He wanted to make one thing unmistakably clear: He alone was in control. Had Israel won the battle with 32,000 soldiers, they may have credited their own strength and strategy.
Later in Judges 7:19–25, we read that the Lord led Gideon’s tiny army to a resounding victory. Through obedience to His instruction, Gideon’s men used torches and trumpets to launch a nighttime ambush—causing such confusion that the enemy turned on itself in the chaos. What once looked like certain defeat became a stunning display of God’s power.
When Obedience Feels Illogical
So what kind of “tree” looks out of place in your life right now? Maybe it’s a delay, a disappointment, a loss, or a closed door. You hoped your life would follow a certain path, but something unexpected has taken root in the middle of it. Maybe, like Gideon, you feel under-resourced, underprepared, or overwhelmed.
This is where Gideon’s story hits home: he obeyed even when it didn’t seem to make sense. He followed God’s instruction even when it looked “weird.” We learn from the rest of his story that Gideon wasn’t fearless. He had plenty of questions and doubts (Judges 6:15), but in the end, he chose to trust God.
Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Trusting the Designer
That “tree” in your life... the one you’d quickly cut down if you could? It may be exactly what God is using to shift your perspective, to cause you to look in other directions, deepen your trust, or show His strength in your weakness. As Paul was reminded, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Maybe it’s there to protect you from something unseen or to draw your eyes upward instead of outward.
What would it look like to trust God with your landscape, even if you wouldn’t have drawn it up this way? Often, the things that we would have done differently are the very places where God does His deepest work.
- Ron Reid