27Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
Sometimes, even with the best intentions, our efforts get in the way of true surrender and worship. Gideon has been used by the Lord to deliver Israel out of their enemies’ hands. He has not been a man of strong faith, just someone who had a little faith in the LORD. He believed enough to trust. And then his trust led to simple obedience. After the victories he probably wanted to celebrate those victories, so he made a fancy garment out of the gold gained in the victories. It was this gold garment that got them in trouble. It was probably very beautiful. It became a matter of boasting and pride which led the nation astray. Something so small, and yet the impact was so large. Are there small things in your life that seem to be pushing/pulling you away from the Lord? They might have started as something good, like a boat, so that you can spend quality time together as a family. But now it has become the object of pride and a drain on resources needed for other important things. Small things can get us in trouble.
The Arnold Journey 