Gideon was facing an impossible situation. He has to take on the powerful Midianites that had occupied and enslaved his people. Gideon had to realize that this was a life or death situation. God had promised to deliver them into the hands of Israel, but Gideon still had to prepare for battle, organize the troops, face the battle and prepare for the unknown that still existed. He could not sit back and rest on God’s promise; he had a colossal job to do and God would bless the effort.
Knowing there was a challenge brewing, the Midianites were poised and ready for battle. Gideon also amassed his troops. “And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.” (Judges 6:35) Gideon had a good following. There was safety in numbers. Surely he had acquired great men of war, strength, knowledge, and cunning skills to secure the victory that was promised by God. Their sheer numbers had to give Gideon a sense of security. Thirty-two thousand soldiers were ready to be lead by Gideon!
Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Gideon’s heart must have sunk into a pit of trepidation upon receiving this direction from God. He had amassed a great following and now God wanted him to turn them away? God ultimately reduced Gideon’s troops down to a meager 300 men. There was no way 300 men had the ability to conquer the Midianites and that was exactly what God wanted. This was astonishing and created an impossible situation but God had a good reason. There is great power in man, but God wanted to show Gideon and Israel his power. Had Gideon and his 32,000 men gone into battle and won, Israel would have taken the credit for the victory and would not have recognized God’s hand in their deliverance. However, winning the battle with just 300 men would reveal the intervention of a great God.
Are you currently facing an impossible situation? In this situation it is important to remember that the impossible situation is not a reflection of God’s absence or evidence of his lack of care; it is him preparing you to see his hand of intervention. God wants to prove himself to be real and active in your life. If you were not in an impossible situation or if you had the power to amass your great “army” in your own strength, his presence would become cloaked in your ability.
In addition, continuing to trust in your ability might prove to be disappointing, insufficient, and unreliable. You have to recognize that you might not have all the right information within yourself. You might not have the ability to come up with the right way to handle the situation, but God does.
Proverbs 25:19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
If you are trusting solely in your ability to solve your own problems independent of God, you are putting your confidence in an unfaithful man. You do not have all knowledge and understanding within yourself; true understanding and direction need to come from God. Trust God. Look to him in prayer. Seek his help in the impossible situation you are facing. He will never be that “unfaithful man in time of trouble.”
In the New Testament reading, Paul is speaking about trusting in false doctrine and how that belief will lead a person to not have the security that is promised by believing in the true gospel. In like manner, why would you stand in jeopardy by believing that you have the ability to solve every problem? You will not have the security or the promise of trusting in God’s power to help and deliver you.
1 Corinthians 15:30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
1 Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak thisto your shame.
Trusting primarily in your own ability and power is like standing on a slippery slope. Your experience and knowledge only provide you with limited knowledge to apply to your impossible situation. “Awake to righteousness,” and turn to God to harvest and consume his great knowledge and wisdom.
Allowing the Lord to show himself strong and deliver you out of your situation not only proves his presence and power to you, but also to those unbelievers in your midst. They get to see that you have a real and powerful God. If you are strong enough, or smart enough to do the task, then you could say, “Mine own hand hath saved me.” Just like Gideon, God wants to show you and those around you his power, his love, and his involvement in your life. Prepare for the battle, listen for the Lord’s direction, and then watch how God delivers.
Psalm 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
Related Bible Passages
Judges 7
Psalms 98
Proverbs 25
1 Corinthians 15
If you are interested in having a collection of these devotional conversations with your Lord, consider purchasing the devotional book, Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 1 or Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 2. They are available from Amazon by clicking on the titles above.
Glory, Strength, & Beauty 
Excellent words! Thank you for the reminder.
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