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Daily Devotion: Judges 7:10-11

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Judges 7:10-11    "But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:  (11)  And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host."

I strongly encourage you to read all of Judges, chapters 6 and 7. It is in those two chapters that God deals with Gideon in a very special manner. The Lord sent a prophet to speak, then He sent His angel specifically to Gideon. He gave Gideon friends to stand with him when he was instructed to tear down the altar to the false god, Baal. Gideon had many questions and also fears. God pared down the number of men from 32,000 to 300 that would go with Gideon to face the Midianites that had come to devour their land.

Today's verse takes place as Gideon is positioned to go against the enemy. God is so good and merciful. He is so patient and kind to us. In those qualities, He spoke to Gideon concerning his fear and hesitancy in those final moments before the battle. God told Gideon to go down to the camp "... and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host."  It was when he went down to the camp that he heard a man tell of a dream that would normally make no sense, but the other man interpreted the dream to mean the people of Israel would defeat them and he mentioned Gideon by name. It was after this that Gideon went back to the camp. "And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian." (Judges 7:15)

My thought this morning has to do with Gideon's outlook and determination. Yesterday we saw the contrast in how Gideon felt about himself versus the way God saw him. Today, we see how Gideon saw the 300 men in light of the innumerable multitude of the Midianites. Notice he left the 300 men to go down to the HOST of Midianites. After hearing the dream interpretation, he left the Midianites to go back to the "HOST of Israel".  I think of the old Gospel song that says, "Little is much if God is in it." His entire outlook changed when he realized the purpose of God for him.  May we use the mind of Christ to approach each day with confidence in His mercy, grace, and His will for us.

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