Confession: Tonight, I just wanted to get the reading done. I had difficulty paying attention and really just wanted to "check this off my list". Which is sad, really, when you consider what we're reading: the story of Gideon overcoming the Midianites. Of course, the story is more complicated than the Sunday School version with just 300 men, some torches, and clay jars. It was the Ephraimites that played an important role in chasing down the fleeing enemy, as well as the fact that two cities in Gad refused Gideon succor, basically siding with Midian for the sake of the own lives. Epic fail, there.
Here is an account where you clearly see the Lord orchestrating Israel's success: only 300 men go with Gideon to battle. They strike the jars, light their torches, give a cry, and the Midianites go into madness, turning on one another. And the dream one of them shared with their fellow and his comrade identified Gideon himself as their conqueror on hearing the dream, something the Lord had predicted to Gideon! It's amazing. They, in that night, defeated more than 120,000 men so that when they faced the kings of Midian, they had only 15,000 men at their side. Gideon only started out with around 32,000 before the Lord whittled it down to 300! This is an account that truly affirms, "If God is for us, then who can stand against us?"
The Bible promises us that we can do all things through Christ who is our strength. If we have that promise, then isn't possible that we could accomplish great things through Christ, also? Gideon wasn't a mighty hero to begin with: this is the same man who hid in the winepress and claimed to be the least of his family, who put out the fleece two separate times. We don't have to be great and mighty to start out with: we need only allow God to do His work. It intimidates me, just a little bit, to think what could or might happen if I let go and let God do His thing. What am I missing out on because of fear?
Tomorrow's Reading: Judges 8:22-35
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