Less is More!

One of the most retold stories in all of scripture is the story of Gideon and his mighty 300.  To me, the story of the battle is far less interesting than the process of elimination that lead to the battle.  Gideon started the campaign with  a turn out of 32,000 Israelites.  Then God starts to narrow the playing field a little.

Judges 7:1-7

¹ Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

² And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ ³ Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
⁴ But 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. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” ⁵ So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” ⁶ And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. ⁷ Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all theother people go, every man to his place.”

There are 3 Major Observations that really stick out in my mind

1. God loves no win scenarios- God is looking for people who will step out in faith and believe Him for a miracle.  So many of us only step out and do what we already know we can do.  We like to keep things predictable and manageable.  God gets no glory from this type of thinking.  He wants to do something in us that will be evidence of His miracle-working power still alive today.
2. Doubt peddlers are the first to go- I find it remarkable that God’s first criteria for elimination was those who were doubting His ability to deliver the Midianites into their hands.  Doubt is a cancer that will spread like wild-fire.  All of us have moments of doubt and disbelief; however, we must stay in the game.  You truly believe what you do.  When our emotions get out of whack, we need to dig in and shout. “I am not going anywhere”.
3. Alertness and Sensitivity to the leading of God’s Spirit is Everything!- Only 300 out of 10,000 passed the water test.  God only choose those who kept their head’s up  and brought the water to their mouths.  Most people go through life with their heads face down in their situations.  God uses people who will never take their eyes off the big picture.  We must be alert to what God is doing all around us every single moment of the day.  Every relationship, phone call, or unexpected encounter could be a channel for God’s provision or miracle.

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