Sep. 22, 2024

Main Point

God Does the Impossible Through Us When We Trust Him Fully, Not in Our Own Strength Introduction: Over the last few weeks, we've been looking at Gideon's journey and how he stepped into God's plan for his life. Gideon struggled to see himself the way God saw him, and he resisted at first. His story speaks to how we, too, often doubt and test God rather than trust Him. Context: Gideon lived in a time where culture was much like today—people were living for themselves and not in faith. They had turned from God. Gideon, in Judges 6, struggled with trusting God. He tested God multiple times because he doubted whether God would really come through.

Just like us, Gideon wanted to rely on what he knew, on what was visible in the natural realm, rather than trust in the unseen realm where God operates. Scripture: Judges 7:1-7

Now we turn to Judges 7, where God continues to teach Gideon a lesson: The glory belongs to God, not to man. God told Gideon, “The army is too big. If the Israelites win with this many people, they’ll think they did it. They’ll take the credit.” Gideon had 32,000 men but faced an enemy of 135,000. God whittled the army down until only 300 remained. Key Idea: It's Not About Our Strength—It's About God's Glory Gideon’s army was reduced because God wanted the glory. He didn’t want them to think they won through their own strength. In our lives, we often try to take the credit. “I did this” or “I accomplished that,” but we forget that it’s all because of God’s provision. We must remember: God wins the battle, and we are called to give Him the glory for every victory in our lives. Lesson from the 300 Men: Spiritual Readiness Judges 7:5-6: God tested the men at the water. The ones who drank while staying alert, bringing water to their mouths and watching their surroundings, were chosen. The others, who knelt down with their faces to the water, were not. Key Application: It wasn’t about their strength or skill—it was about their spiritual sensitivity and readiness. Are we spiritually alert? Are we paying attention to what God is doing in our lives, or are we focused on our own desires? Sometimes God uses those who may not be the most skilled or strongest, but those who are ready and available.

New Testament Examples:

Peter: A fisherman who denied Jesus, yet was used mightily by God at Pentecost to save 3,000 people. The Woman at the Well: A woman with a sinful past became an evangelist to her entire town after encountering Jesus. Matthew the Tax Collector: A man considered a traitor, but Jesus called him, and he became one of His disciples. God Often Uses the Least to Do the Most Gideon’s 300 men faced overwhelming odds—450-to-1. But God can use small things to achieve big victories. Like David, who defeated Goliath with just a small stone. Application for Us: Impossible situations are where God displays His glory the best. When we feel small or inadequate, that’s when God does His greatest work. You may think, "I can’t do this, I’m not qualified," but God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Conclusion: Are we spiritually ready like Gideon’s 300? Are we alert, watching for God’s leading, or are we distracted by our own desires and pride? God is all we need. When we realize that He’s all we have, He becomes all we need. As we surrender our strength and trust God fully, He will do miraculous things in and through us, and He will get the glory.