GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE TO PERFORM EXTRAORDINARY THINGS
In Gideon's day, Israel was in desperate straits spiritually. The nation would rebel against the Lord, only to fall into the oppressive hands of its enemies. After years of hardship and pain, the people would repent, and God would raise up a deliverer, a judge, to rally an army and cast off the yoke of heathen bondage. Gideon was one of those judges whom God commissioned (Judges 6) to deliver Israel.
If we are going to accomplish extraordinary things for the Lord, you first need to believe what God says about you. When the angel of the Lord, who I believe is the pre-incarnate Christ, appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior” (Judges 6:12). Gideon was flabbergasted! His response is found in verse 15, “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” (NLT)
The Lord's answer in verse 14 was, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” Can you identify with Gideon? Analyzing our inadequacies can paralyze us. As long as Gideon looked at himself, his confidence was zero. Only when he chose to believe God, instead of his own feelings of inferiority, was he ready to do some wonderful things for the Lord. What does God say about you? Study His Word and the position you have in Christ, and trust God's assessment of your character and abilities. If God has called you to do something exceptional, He will supply the strength and guidance to succeed.
Secondly, we need to trust in God's power rather than our own. Gideon did obey the Lord and called together a great army of 32,000 men (Judges 7). Then, the Lord began to reduce Gideon's army so that his victory would be dependent upon God. God instructed Gideon to send home anyone who trembled with fear, so more than two-thirds of his army left, and only 10,000 were remained (Judges 7:2-3). God further reduced his army by giving his soldiers the water test, separating “everyone who laps water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink” (Judges 7:5). When only 300 men lapped water (Judges 7:6), the odds were now 450 to 1, just the kind of odds that God delights in. Sometimes God reduces the size of our army (support system), so that He can show us and the world His power. Our areas of weakness can be God's showcase for accomplishing marvelous things.
The final test we must face to accomplish exceptional things is to trust God's methods, even when those methods seem strange, even stupid to those around you. God's ways are not our ways. Gideon divided the 300 men into 3 companies, and he gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar with a torch inside. When Gideon and his men reached the enemy camp, they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars, shouting, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:16, 19-20). The Midianite army, confused by the sudden burst of light and sound, began to attack one another and fled. Gideon won a great victory that day, and he won it by faith and obedience to God's word, His power, and His methods.
I believe that a major part of Gideon's victory is found in Judges 6:34, “So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. Today, the Spirit of God dwells within us and is always available to lead us and empower us to do God's will (1 Corinthians 6:19).
I wonder if you are able to identify with Gideon. You may be “crouching in the wine press” with fear, shirking responsibility, or running away from opportunity. My prayer is that you would hear the Lord calling you a mighty man or woman of valor. He is speaking strength over you. He is calling you to a life that matters. Allow His Spirit and His Word to speak to your mind and heart, and follow His voice in faith that you might be used in greater ways than you could ever imagine.