Judges chapters 6 and 7 records the account of Gideon’s army and the victory God achieved through them. The children of Israel had fallen away from following the Lord, walking in disobedience and Baal worship. Their wrong choices resulted in dire consequences. The Midianites overcame them at every turn, robbing them of their produce and cattle. Judges 6: 6 tells their story: “And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and Israel cried unto the Lord”. (We learn the lesson demonstrated here from their choices. When we displease the Lord walking in our own selfish ways instead of following Him, our lives become greatly impoverished and we leave our lives wide open for the devil’s foothold!).
The Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites to show them where they had fallen away in disobedience from following the Lord. God in His grace and mercy reveals His plan to redeem them from their sorry state. He sends an angel to a fearful man called Gideon, hiding from the Midianites and divulges His plan. Gideon is initially petrified when he understands that he is being chosen of God to lead the people to oppose the enemies. He considers his impoverished inability in his own strength to accomplish the task set before him. God reveals to Him the governing factor that changes everything: “Surely I will be with you……(this changes everything)….and you shall smite the Midianites as one man”.
A called man is a sent man. With the calling comes the equipping with God’s strength and wisdom. When God called Gideon for the task, the angel of the Lord greeted him: “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour”, Judges 6:12. God’s word does not describe me, it creates me! God’s word is creative!
Gideon has to work through his doubts, (read the account in Judges 6 and 7), but eventually reaches the place where he is fully persuaded of God’s call and equipping for the task. The Lord instructed Gideon to reduce his army of 32,000 to 300 men, “……in case Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’ “, Judges 7:2.
The record continues and God, in His infinite wisdom and audacious plan, instructs Gideon with His battle plan. When the Israelites obeyed God’s instructions through Gideon, they won the battle without a fight! The sword of the Lord (Judges 7: 20) won the battle. God fights our battles for us when we obey and trust Him.
God achieved His victory that day with a reduced company of 300 men against a vast host of the Midianites. Consider Gideon’s army, do we ever contemplate the feelings of inadequacy and smallness of ourselves, or the fellowship of believers of which we are a part? If so, our eyes are on ourselves instead of considering the greatness of our God.
1 Corinthians 1: 26-29 “For you see your calling…..how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence”.
Considering the above, we bristle with qualifications to be the called of God, to walk with Him in humility, Gideon’s Army of today. Do you see your calling? The School of Life is our School of the Spirit, learning to live in, and carry, God’s presence. The resurrection life of Jesus Christ only flows through a surrendered vessel. Dying to self is a daily choice as we consider others before ourselves, the crucified life brings the joy of serving Jesus. It is offered to us as a daily portion in the wealth of our birthright in Christ. Jesus truly is the joy of living!
Some believers are naturally distressed as godly principles are out-lawed in our nation. Now is the time to encourage ourselves in God. God knows the end from the beginning and laughs at the devil’s futile attepts to claim the world for himself. The great I AM neither slumbers nor sleeps and is in full control. Lift up your eyes and find God’s perspective in His Word. Only what He says is true.
Time is getting short. God is raising His army of ordinary people, a people without recognition of themselves but whose life is in Jesus. There is a sound of heaven being released across the land causing a shift in the atmosphere. The Groom is coming for His bride, (the Church), the bride must make herself ready, (Revelation 19: 7). Every bride has a joyful anticipation of her wedding day in the natural and prepares for that day. May the Lord help us to see every day as a challenge to ever press towards the goal of our high calling, (Philippians 3:14), walking with Jesus through everything our day presents, watching with Jesus, responding to His promptings, living close!
Remember: Whom God calls, He equips!……all for His glory and divine purpose. Don’t look to the greatness of your circumstance, consider the greatness of your God!
Photo by jewad alnabi on Unsplash
