War was in the air. Israel's army, led by Gideon, was about to clash with the Midianite army. Before we go any further though, we need to understand that Israel was a serious underdog in this fight. Her army consisted of 32,000 soldiers, while the Midianite forces numbered 135,000 strong!
Yet as lopsided as these numbers were, Israel still had a fighting chance. There was still an outside chance that she might pull the upset. For that very reason, God told Gideon to thin out the ranks. So it was trimmed from 32,000 down to 10,000, and then 10,000 was trimmed down to 300. That's right, 300 Israelites to go up against 135,000 Midianites! But those were the odds God wanted, because at the end of the day when Israel had won, He wanted everyone to say, "It was God!"
Perhaps you've experienced a situation where the odds are already against you, only to find that the Lord allows those odds to get more and more lopsided in your opponent's favor. Your 32,000 soldiers turn into 10,000 . . . your 10,000 turn into 300! It's as if the exact opposite of what we're praying for is unfolding right before us.
But here's the truth we need to grab hold of: If God is calling us to a particular task, He will remove things from us in order to reveal His resources. He wants it that way because at the end of the day, when He comes through for us and saves the day, all anyone will be able to say is, "It was God!"
Discuss, Dig, Decide:
Discuss with your group how you have recently seen the power of God displayed in miraculous ways. Share the circumstances and how God was glorified in the victory.
Dig into Judges 7:2. What would you have done if you had been in Gideon's sandals? What do you think was God's purpose and plan in this situation? How did Gideon reduce his ranks? What do you learn about God from this passage?
Decide as a group to come to the aid of those who are small in number but great in purpose. Is there a group in your church that could use your assistance? With an outreach? With children? With widows or single moms? Find a ministry that could use extra hands and hearts, and join them as they bless others! |
