DEVOTION / The battle belongs to the Lord
The Lord looks at the heart
One of the anxious moments of childhood is waiting to be picked for a team. There is nothing more embarrassing than being left as the last one chosen. We can be thankful that God doesn’t choose his team that way. David was a shepherd who was chosen to be a king. Moses was a condemned baby chosen to be a great leader. Peter, James, and John were simple fishermen chosen to lead Christ’s church. The list goes on.
Gideon was no different. God found him threshing wheat in a disguised winepress, hiding from the Midianites. But God needed his talent. He told Gideon he was chosen to lead an army. He was even promised a victory.
I will be with you
God had the situation well in hand. He told Gideon that the battle would be difficult, but he would be victorious. The enemy numbered 135,000 warriors. Gideon’s army was a mere 32,000. But God did not like those odds, so he proposed a plan that would shrink Gideon’s force to 300. One Israelite to 450 Midianites. 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. (Judges 6:16)
The Lord 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 trumpets in one hand and lamps in the other. They ran toward the enemy, blowing the trumpets and releasing a sea of light. 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. (Judges 7:21,22)
Today, the Midianites may not be knocking on our doors, but loneliness, money problems, strained relationships, serious health issues, and age worries are all 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 ours. We have far more than just an outnumbered army to fight our battles. We have the Lord of hosts! The Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. (Deuteronomy 20:4)
By Reynold R. Kremer