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A.G. Gaston was a quiet businessman living in Birmingham,Alabama, when Dr. Martin Luther King went there to work for social justice. Mr. Gaston invited Dr. King to use his motel as a refuge to strategize for local protests. When Bull Conner jailed the civil rights leader for protesting, Mr. Gaston quietly bailed him out with $160,000 of his own money. Leaders, both quiet and vocal, often emerge during times of great need. That was also true when God picked Gideon to serve as a judge in his day. When God approached him, Gideon described himself as belonging to the least clan in his tribe and the least person in his family. Yet God picked him to deliver his people, telling him that his tribe and family connections would not be the basis of his coming victory. His success would come from God’s presence and empowerment. God said to him (Judges 6:16), “I will be with you.” That principle is still true. When God selects a person for a task, He often leads the person to prepare through training and education. But ultimately, the person gets the job done, not in his own abilities alone. He succeeds because of God’s presence and empowerment.
