Illustration courtesy: jw.org
This morning as I was reading the passage in Judges 7 on God leading Gideon to defeat the Midianites with a handful of men-300 to be precise, I felt the Holy Spirit give me a powerful revelation through this passage.
I want to share what God revealed to me.
Gideon had to reduce the size of the army of men from a 32.000 to a 10.000- those who were afraid turned back. In Judges 7: 2-3, it says: The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to hand the Midianites over to you,[a] or else Israel might brag:[b] ‘I did it myself.’ 3 Now announce in the presence of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So 22,000 of the people turned back, but 10,000 remained.”
The first lot of people who left were fearful. They chose to operate from a place of fear instead of from a place of faith. God is not willing to use people who choose fear over faith for His purposes. Why? Because they are not operating from the mind of the Spirit but from the mind of the flesh. They chose to see their own limitations and believe they are not enough. They are unable to see that God can and is willing to move powerfully in and through them. So they shrink back in fear instead of allowing faith to move them.
Then in Judges 7:4-7 we read:
Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one can go with you,’ he can go. But if I say about anyone, ‘This one cannot go with you,’ he cannot go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate everyone who laps water with his tongue like a dog. Do the same with everyone who kneels to drink.” 6 The number of those who lapped with their hands to their mouths was 300 men, and all the rest of the people knelt to drink water. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and hand the Midianites over to you. But everyone else is to go home.”
I looked up the Hebrew translation to understand this passage better. Apparently the 300 men who chose to lap water like a dog were not animal like and uncouth in their mannerisms. But they were those who bent over, scooped water with one hand while keeping the other hand free. In that position they were not entirely bent over, so they could still be alert to their surroundings. On the other hand, the men who went down on their knees were fully open to the attack of the enemy. In that position, they were not able to judge when they would be attacked-it was a vulnerable position open to attack and with less in favour for their own defense.
As I pondered this interpretation, I was reminded of the men on the wall who rebuilt the ruins during Nehemiah’s times. They had a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. When they were at work rebuilding, they were also on alert to the viles of the enemy!!
In essence, God is looking for people who are alert and battle ready every day as they go about their lives and their work. He cannot use us mightily for His purposes if we are so engrossed in what we do and so driven by the work that we fail to stay alert.
Our weapons of war are not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers of darkness. We need to stay alert as we partner with the Lord to build for His Glory and for His Name.
God is willing to use us for His Kingdom purposes. But are we willing to stay alert and stay surrendered in His Hands as He moves in our midst?
Nehemiah built the wall in record time. Gideon won over the Midianites with just a handful of men. In both cases they did not complete the task because of their own strength. They did so because they remained surrendered into God’s Hands, because they worked with one hand in the assignment and other alert and battle ready.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I see the danger when I am so focussed on DOING things for You that I fail to be alert in prayer and in vigilance. Help me to begin with You and to be alert and discerning as I go about Your work. With You I can do great exploits for Your Kingdom. But on my own and with my own limited strength, I can do nothing. Drive this truth deep into my soul so I may position myself and be battle ready for Your will all the days of my life. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.