May 20th
Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” 14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” 15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” Judges 7:1-3,8-15 NIV
This story shows that God will work with us on whatever level necessary, as long as we’re willing to follow Him. Gideon initially expressed doubt when God’s angel informed him that the Lord had chosen him to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Chapter 6). God didn’t give up because Gideon was doubtful. God was patient with Gideon and even fulfilled Gideon’s requests for confirmation of what the angel had said. Gideon had a willing heart, as when his confirmation criterion was met, he obeyed the Lord’s instructions.
Gideon had obediently assembled an army to confront the Midianites. Even with his 32,000 men, it appears that Gideon was vastly outnumbered. With only 300 men, we can only imagine what Gideon must have been thinking. The Lord knew what Gideon was thinking, and told him to walk right into the camp of the enemy for a “faith boost” that would make all the difference. Gideon obeyed and discovered that God had delivered the enemy into his hands.
Gideon’s immediate reaction is very important. He worshipped the Lord, then spoke the truth to his army. Gideon and his 300 men went on to defeat the Midianites in a stunning victory (vss 16-25).
As with Gideon, the Lord will work with us on whatever level of faith we are at, provided we have a willing heart. You can ask him to help you conquer any unbelief that you may have. You can even ask him to give you signs to help you believe. For example, during my recovery from sex addiction, I asked God to confirm that he was with me. I asked him to cause all of the traffic lights (7 or 8) on my way to work to be green. Every light was green that morning! This reassurance helped me tremendously in continuing to believe and trust in God. When he answers you, respond by giving thanks and praise, and then proceed forward in obedience.
As you face the spiritual battles in the walk to freedom, God will help you with some “faith boosters” like he did for Gideon. These boosters may not be easy to go through at first, but consider that through it you may discover the truth that will make all the difference. Like Gideon, when you hear the truth, you’ll be glad that you obeyed the Lord. Take courage and remember the angel’s first words to Gideon in chapter 6: “”The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Questions for further thought:
Have you felt overwhelmed by the enemy recently?
When you think you’ve heard from the Lord, why is it important to verify that it is from the Lord?
Is your faith level increased when you tell others what you are believing?
Even when you may have no physical evidence that God is with you, what does God’s word tell us about where he is? (Matthew 28:20)
Since God is the God of the impossible, how is his presence demonstrated in us when we face impossible situations?
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, please meet me at my current level of faith. I confess that I have wavered in doubt and fear when facing the enemies in the past, but I put my trust in you today. Please strengthen my faith and steady my footsteps on the path of purity. I believe that you are the God of the impossible. I praise you and thank you for working in my life! In your name I pray, Amen.”