Judges 7:2 (NLT)
The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.
This story is such an awesome story of God's might and strength!! It is statistically against all odds. Gideon would have had a better chance of getting struck by lightning 7 times driving across the Red Sea in a car that wasn't invented yet than doing this on his own might. I'm so thankful I don't serve a God of statistics! The Lord reduced Gideon's army from 22,000 to 10,000 to 300 and even told Gideon why He was doing it. Story after story in the Bible, God shows up in ways that only He can by providing for our every need, defying all odds, and going before His people and securing the victory.
Judges 7:9-14 (NLT)
9 That night the Lord said, “Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them! 10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. 11 Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.” So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. 12 The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count! 13 Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” 14 His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”
Judges 8:10 (NLT)
By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed.
That is 135,000 soldiers!!!
Yet more often than not the outcome tends to be the same. PRIDE! Gideon had great intentions and followed God's commands (with a lot of encouragement) but at the end of it all, everything that was intended to bring glory to God's name ended up becoming a trap for Gideon and his family.
Judges 8:27 (NLT)
Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.
I'm convinced that we limit God's willingness to use us by our lack of humbleness. I also believe that one of the easiest ways to bring discipline into our lives and snuff out His blessing is to take credit for what He did and is doing. When I read this story and the countless others like it, I try to remind myself that I must remain humble! The less there is of me, the more there is of Him. I can say with certainty, He is all that is good within me! I remember my mother instilling in me since I was a little child that, "Pride comes before a fall." To this day, one of my greatest fears is that I might begin or try to take credit for something He does. I believe it is part of our human nature to want to have a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment is realizing that without Him, we really accomplish nothing at all.
Father,
Thank you for your unfailing love, your mercies, and your provision! Help us to lay aside our pride and willingly become less so that you continue to become more in every area of our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.
This story is such an awesome story of God's might and strength!! It is statistically against all odds. Gideon would have had a better chance of getting struck by lightning 7 times driving across the Red Sea in a car that wasn't invented yet than doing this on his own might. I'm so thankful I don't serve a God of statistics! The Lord reduced Gideon's army from 22,000 to 10,000 to 300 and even told Gideon why He was doing it. Story after story in the Bible, God shows up in ways that only He can by providing for our every need, defying all odds, and going before His people and securing the victory.
Judges 7:9-14 (NLT)
9 That night the Lord said, “Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them! 10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. 11 Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.” So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. 12 The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count! 13 Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” 14 His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”
Judges 8:10 (NLT)
By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed.
That is 135,000 soldiers!!!
Yet more often than not the outcome tends to be the same. PRIDE! Gideon had great intentions and followed God's commands (with a lot of encouragement) but at the end of it all, everything that was intended to bring glory to God's name ended up becoming a trap for Gideon and his family.
Judges 8:27 (NLT)
Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.
I'm convinced that we limit God's willingness to use us by our lack of humbleness. I also believe that one of the easiest ways to bring discipline into our lives and snuff out His blessing is to take credit for what He did and is doing. When I read this story and the countless others like it, I try to remind myself that I must remain humble! The less there is of me, the more there is of Him. I can say with certainty, He is all that is good within me! I remember my mother instilling in me since I was a little child that, "Pride comes before a fall." To this day, one of my greatest fears is that I might begin or try to take credit for something He does. I believe it is part of our human nature to want to have a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment is realizing that without Him, we really accomplish nothing at all.
Father,
Thank you for your unfailing love, your mercies, and your provision! Help us to lay aside our pride and willingly become less so that you continue to become more in every area of our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.