Monday, July 24, 2017
An Unlikely Leader
“And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’—Judges 7:2
The Israelites lived in fear of their enemies the Midianites. The Midianites had numbers so large, they were described in the Bible as being “as numerous as locusts” (Judges 6:5). They were everywhere, and the children of Israel were greatly outnumbered.
They needed to defeat the Midianites, but they needed someone to lead them. So God found a man named Gideon. When we’re first introduced to Gideon in Judges 6, he was hiding from his enemies, threshing wheat. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” (verse 12).
I can imagine Gideon looking around and saying, “Who? Are you talking to me?” If there was anything Gideon was not at that moment, it was a mighty man of valor. But through a series of events in Gideon’s life, he was transformed and became a man of great courage. He summoned the people to go into battle against the Midianites.
Then the Lord came to Gideon one day and delivered a message that I’m sure he wasn’t pleased to hear: his army was too big. Maybe Gideon said, “You’re joking! I love it when You joke, Lord! Too big! We’re already outnumbered, and we’re too big!”
But God wasn’t kidding. He didn’t want anyone to say they defeated the Midianites in their own strength. So He gave Gideon a test for the men that would thin out the ranks. In the end, Gideon was left with 300 men. And with 300 men God defeated the Midianites.
You see, our numbers don’t have to be large. God can do a lot with a little. And God can use little people to do big things. You are never too small for God to use, but you can be too big.
Dig Deeper:
Today’s Radio Program
“The Temptation of a World Changer–2”
This Week’s TV Program
“What Is the Gospel?”
Today’s Bible Reading
Isaiah 40-42; 1 Peter 3
Used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, PO Box 4000.
