Originally posted: 10/10/2019
The LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me,’” (7:2).
The following quote by Oswald Chambers from My Utmost for His Highest, reiterates this same principle the LORD set forth in Judges 7:2: “The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things.”
All throughout the Scriptures we see God’s call to the greatest of all needs, His call to faith. And as His children believe, He calls them to opportunities to do great things by faith, and in faith.
In each of us is this propensity towards self-reliance; and in His sovereign faithfulness, He Reduces Resources in order to lead us to humility, strengthen our faith, and demonstrate His power.
Consider Him Who Reduces Resources
- He Reduces Resources to lead us to humility.
- The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me,’” (7:2).
- He Reduces Resources to strengthen our faith.
- The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.” … 9 Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, 11 and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.” … 15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands,” (7:7, 9-10, 15).
- He Reduces Resources to demonstrate His power.
- His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”… 22 When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled… (7:14, 22).
How do we respond to Him Who Reduces Resources?
It is still our greatest need…to believe; and in His grace and sovereignty He Reduces Resources to train us in our greatest need.
- He Reduces Resources to lead us to humility.
- And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong, (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
- He Reduces Resources to strengthen our faith.
- Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing, (James 1:2-4).
- He Reduces Resources to demonstrate His power.
- But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves, (2 Corinthians 4:7).
Today may we truly comprehend our greatest need: to believe, not to do. As we learn to humble ourselves and trust in His perfect grace, our faith will be strengthened and He will demonstrate His power in us, His earthen vessels.
This is not something we can do; but as we believe, not in our own resources but in Him Who Reduces Resources, we can trust Him to do the impossible.
“For nothing will be impossible with God,” (Luke 1:37).