When the Odds are Against You

“Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. The LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, “My own power has delivered me.” Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, “Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.”’ So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.

Then the LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go.’

So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, ‘You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.’ Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water.

The LORD said to Gideon, ‘I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.’ So the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.” Judges 7:1-8

“Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, ‘Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.’ His friend replied, ‘This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.’” Judges 7:12-14

“When they blew 300 trumpets, the LORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. The men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.” Judges 7:22-23

There are six biblical truths that can lead to victory in impossible situations...

1. God uses difficulties to build our faith. He wants to strip us of our dependence on anything other than Him. We are to fix our focus on Christ - the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

2. At times, God may require the unreasonable. Gideon was allowed to take only 300 men into battle with him - a fraction of the size of the enemy’s army.

3. The Lord always leads us to do what will bring Him glory. Had Israel won the battle in their own strength - the credit would have gone to them and not to God.

4. God sends encouragement when we need it the most. He is sensitive to our weaknesses and knows the proper time to send help and an encouraging word.

5. The Lord always works behind the scenes on our behalf. The night before Gideon marched into battle, God instilled confusion in the hearts of the enemy. The enemy fled in fear.

6. God provides specific instructions for victory. If we will rely on Him, He will lead us through every trial we face, step by step, according to His plan for our lives.

Bring your foe before God. There is no enemy too great for Him.