Bible Reading: Judges 7; Acts 11; Jeremiah 20; Mark 6
Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
God wanted Gideon to lead the Israelites against the Midianites and Amalekites that were oppressing Israel. It took some convincing for Gideon to be convinced, but after some fleeces he was ready to go out against the enemies of his people. However, God said the thirty-two thousand men who gathered to go to battle were too many! Now remember how many of the enemies were camped against Israel:
Judges 7:12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
Why would God reduce the army to only three hundred men? That does not make sense! Yet God told Gideon what his reason was: Israel might vaunt themselves against the LORD saying they had gained the victory by their own hand. To vaunt means to be lifted up with pride and to boast or brag. Could this happen to you? Of course it could and we know what God's Word says about pride.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
The Lord has to reduce us sometimes so that we will know of a certainty who really won the victory. During the days of the rebuilding of the temple after the exile, God had to continually encourage the people through his prophets that though they were small in number, he would give them the victory:
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things?
We must realize that God does not need mighty armies to win victories. It is not by human might or power but by his Spirit that he accomplishes his will. We must not despise the day of small things because if God is in it the victory will come! Jesus told a small church that he had set an open door before them:
Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Have you experienced a reduction? Then rejoice because God is victorious and he gets all the glory!
In Christ,
Rody
