Judges 7:1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops that were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod…. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, “The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’ 3 Now therefore proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.’ ” Thus Gideon sifted them out; twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained. 4 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “The troops are still too many; take them down to the water and I will sift them out for you there. When I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; and when I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So he brought the troops down to the water; and the LORD said to Gideon, “All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; all those who kneel down to drink, putting their hands to their mouths, you shall put to the other side.” 6 The number of those that lapped was three hundred; but all the rest of the troops knelt down to drink water. 7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go to their homes.” 8 So he took the jars of the troops from their hands, and their trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel back to their own tents, but retained the three hundred. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley. 9 That same night the LORD said to him, “Get up, attack the camp; for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you fear to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah; 11 and you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to attack the camp.”

It’s crazy to think God’s people under Gideon defeated the Midianites with only 300 warriors, but there it is. What I find interesting is that God asked Gideon to send home all those who were “fearful and trembling”, yet v.10 reveals that Gideon himself was fearful. If you read verses 12-14 of this chapter you will see that Gideon took God up on his offer of v.10 and only then did he attack.

In fact he attacked with NO SWORDS, only trumpets and jars of fire.

As I wrote in my last blog post, Gideon is not exactly a profile in courage through this story, but he is nonetheless God’s chosen leader to defeat the Midian army. It reminds me that I don’t have to be perfect to be used by God. This story isn’t so much about Gideon, but about God working through Gideon. God’s power was enough for Gideon. It’s enough for me. And you.

Heavenly Father keep our eyes on you, for with you all things are possible. Amen.