Just Do It!
Judges 7:1-25
The Lord in His wisdom reduced the numbers of Gideon’s army so they wouldn’t boast that their strength saved them. What areas of life do I have that God gifted me so I may not boast? Money, status, knowledge of systems and structures for building wealth, discipline, growth mindset, insecurity. Gideon starts with thirty-two thousand men. The Bible says in Judges 7 that God commanded him to announce anyone who trembles with fear may lead, after that announcement twenty-two men left that day. So even though they signed up to fight initially, they did it not in faith but fearfully. The lesson in this is to do it anyway.
Gideon was commanded by God to further reduce the army by taking them down to the water and commanding that anyone who laps the water like a dog should be sent away, but those who bow down and scoop the water with their hands to their mouth shall stay. My first thought was that if you drink on all fours how can you see your enemy coming? So maybe these guys who lap the water with a hand were previously military trained possibly. Maybe they knew to check their surroundings at all times. The lesson here is to make sure that you surround yourself with people who will keep watching you.
I have a few questions that I would like for you to ask yourself as you continue to read this. Do the folks around you help keep watch with you? Do they pray for your well-being? Do they support your endeavors? Do they stand in the gap for you? If not, then maybe like many of Gideon’s men it’s time for them to go. Getting back to the story.
After getting fearfully trembling men to leave and those who lap water like a dog to leave he is left now with 300 men. So after this, the real kicker occurs. After speaking to God, being assured of victory, and prepared for success, the Lord says to Gideon, if you are still afraid to attack, go down to the median night camp and listen to what they are saying. Did you catch that? Getting in himself was still fearful and God knew it. Do it anyway.
So Gideon and his servant pure go down to the Midianite camp. As they reach they hear a man tell of his dream and the interpretation of it is basically that God has given the Midianites into the hands of Gideon. Imagine getting a reaction to hearing from the enemy that the victory is his. This encouraged Gideon greatly and he went back and worshiped God. He returned to the camp late. He had to hear it for himself. My next question for you is what reports are you listening to about your future? Whose voice are you constantly hearing? Do the voices you listen to affirm the word of the Lord or contradict it? Sometimes it’s the people we have nothing in common with that God uses to speak to us.
If this is your first time reading about getting you are in for a treat. The story gets even better. When getting sent to spy on the Midianite camp the Bible says the camels of the Midianites were as numerous as the grains of sand on the beach. With this many camels, you must know that there was at least one man, maybe two for each camel. That’s three hundred versus thousands. My next question is what opposition are you up against? For me, it’s a battle of my mind and will. I don’t see camels, instead, I see obstacles, reasons why I should stay quiet, and challenges like time and resources, and the lack of both stresses me out at times. Other camels in my life are my kids’ sickness, my sickness, unexpected injuries, mysterious illnesses, and hospital bills. It’s overwhelming at times, but mainly because I’m fighting with my strength and with my weapons. This brings me to my next point.
God sent Gideon and three hundred men against trained warriors with uncommon weapons. Gideon and his men were not trained or armed with swords, spears, and bows. They instead had trumpets, torches, and lamps. No sword no bowl no acts, not even a shovel but trumpets and torches are what the Lord used to defeat the entire media Knight camp.
The Bible says that when they blew their trumpets and broke the jar lamps, the Midianites got confused by the commotion so much so they started turning on each other while the rest ran away. What do you do when you face a battle? Do you run away? Or do you turn on your own? I usually do the former. Things get hard or unpleasant or boring. I quit. I give up and walk away. Last year was all about finishing what I started. The laundry list of things that I accomplished through the power of Christ it’s too long to list but you must know that they all had origins from previous years. Some of the things I finished I started a decade prior. In 2022, the goal was all about finishing what I started. That was it. No perfection, no improvement, just finish it. What are some of the things in your life that you need to finish? Is it the forgiveness of a spouse? Starting that company or nonprofit you always dream though? Or maybe it’s going back to school and getting that degree that haunts you every night.
Even now, after all of God’s blessings, I am tempted to give up. But there is a cost, I can hope it will all go away or I can stand and fight to know that God’s uncommon weapons will provide me the victory. I’m not sure what battles you’re facing in this season, but the story of Gideon gives me hope that even when things feel overwhelming like they do right now. Even when I can’t see the victory, God will go with me and he’ll supply me with his weapons and equip me to do what is required. The moral of the story: Do it anyway.
Reflecting on the Story of Gideon
The story of Gideon is a powerful one that teaches us many valuable lessons about faith,
courage, and trusting in God. As we read through this story, we can ask ourselves some
reflective questions to help us gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and how we
can apply it to our own lives.
- What areas of life do I have that God gifted me so I may not boast?As we read
about how God reduced the number of men in Gideon’s army, we can reflect on
the gifts that God has given us and how we use them. Do we use them to boast or
to glorify God?
- Do the folks around me help keep watch with me? Do they pray for my well-
being? Do they support my endeavors? Do they stand in the gap for me? We can
think about the people in our lives and how they support us. Do they encourage
us and pray for us? Do they help us stay accountable and keep us on track?
- What reports am I listening to about my future? Whose voice am I constantly
hearing? We can reflect on the voices that we listen to and how they affect us. Do
they affirm the word of the Lord or contradict it? Are we seeking God’s guidance
and listening for His voice?
- What opposition am I up against? Just as Gideon faced a formidable opponent in
the Midianites, we all face challenges and obstacles in our lives. We can think
about the challenges we are currently facing and how we can overcome them with
God’s help.
- What do I do when I face a battle? We can reflect on how we respond when we
face challenges and difficulties. Do we give up and walk away, or do we stand firm
and trust in God’s strength and guidance?
- What are some of the things in my life that I need to finish? We can think about
the things in our lives that we have started but have yet to finish. Are there
relationships that need reconciliation? Dreams or goals that we have put on hold?
We can ask God to give us the strength and courage to finish what we have
started.
As we reflect on the story of Gideon and ask ourselves these questions, we can gain a
deeper understanding of how we can live our lives with faith, courage, and trust in God.
We can learn from Gideon’s example and be inspired to face our challenges with the
strength and guidance that comes from our faith.
**We have included the PDF format for this so that you can download and add to your library of resources and study helps. **
Jori O’Neale is an author, ordained Minister, bible teacher, and the CEO of IYH Innertainment LLC, a faith-based entertainment company. She is the wife to one amazing husband, mother to four miraculous children, and teacher to hundreds of NYC youth. Follow her @jorioneale on all socials and for more great content check out her author’s page on Amazon and her new book “How To Have A Revolutionary Walk With God”.
