One of t
he tragedies of childhood is waiting to be picked for a sports team. There’s nothing more embarrassing than being left as the last one chosen. Those with special popularity usually get picked first—often regardless of their talent.
We can be thankful that God doesn’t choose his team that way. If we look through the entire Bible, we won’t find anyone chosen by God because they were popular. David was a shepherd who was chosen to be a king. Moses was a condemned baby who was chosen to be a great leader. Peter, James, and John were simple fishermen who were chosen to lead Christ’s church. The list goes on with prostitutes, fig pickers, tent makers, and slaves. We can be thankful that God has a way of seeing beyond the things that impress us most.
Gideon was no different. God found him threshing wheat in a disguised winepress, hiding from the Midianites. But God needed his talent. God wanted Gideon to be the fifth judge of Israel. The Lord told Gideon he was specially chosen to destroy the enemy. He was even promised a victory.
What did Gideon think about the proposition? He came up with two very good excuses not to volunteer. First, he said he should be disqualified because his father had built altars to Baal. Second, he doubted he could accomplish great things for God. He even devised a strange experiment for God to prove to him that he would be victorious.
God told Gideon that the battle would be difficult. The enemy numbered 135,000 warriors compared to Gideon’s army of 32,000. God did not like those odds, so he proposed a plan that would shrink Gideon’s force to 300. One Israelite to 450 Midianites. What do you think went through the minds of those 300 mighty men? How do you think Gideon felt? Gideon saw insurmountable odds, but God saw a different picture: “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites as if they were together” (6:16).
God is wise, patient, loving, and helpful. He told Gideon to sneak into the enemy camp and listen to what they were saying. Gideon returned with news that the Midianites were fearful of being destroyed, so he readied his 300 soldiers with a trumpet in one hand and a torch inside a dark pitcher in the other. As an armed force, they ran toward the enemy blowing the trumpets and releasing a sea of light as they broke their pitchers. For the Midianites, the sight was terrifying. “All the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. . . . The Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords” (7:21,22).
What do you think Gideon prayed that night? Did he learn his lesson about God’s promises? No doubt the victory gave him a totally new perspective on God’s protecting ways.
Today the Midianites may not be knocking on our doors, but loneliness, money problems, strained family relationships, serious health issues, and age worries are. The enemy is still camped nearby.
Yet God continues to assure us that he will be in the front lines fighting for us, even when the odds seem completely against us. Remember, God’s view of the odds is a world apart from our view. We have far more than just an outnumbered army to fight our battles. We have the Lord of hosts! “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).
Personal goal: Give today’s battles to the Lord.
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