“And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place” (Judges 7:7).
TEXT — Judges 7:1-8
Message
Available statistics reveal that we spend a lot of money on fitness and well-being—$828 billion globally in 2018. Being mindful of our physical wellness is important. The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA (a hospital focused on integrated health care, education and research) suggests that being active improves our mental health and energy level, helps us sleep better and guard against disease.
“Gideon’s 300 soldiers” is a very remarkable story. It reveals God’s preference for quality rather than quantity in choosing people for His service. Gideon had the divine mandate to fight against the Midianites. He had given a clarion call to arms and 32,000 warriors had enlisted. The army seemed large enough, but God is not necessarily on the side of the heaviest battalions, certainly not when 22,000 of the lot were literally trembling for fear. The fearful were only too glad to decommission at the earliest opportunity; God does not use such people anyway.
For Gideon, facing up to an army hundreds of thousands strong with a measly 10,000-man army was already a project of faith. But God was not done yet. He saw an equally disqualifying trait that Gideon could not see in the men that remained, and He was going to whittle down the army even further. The test was a very little act – drinking water after a long march. All but few of the 10,000 men forgot that they were soldiers. Dropping their weapons, they bowed face down into the water and lapped greedily to quench their thirst. 9,700 were disqualified; only a mere 300 who quenched their thirst while remaining vigilant against possible enemy attack were deemed fit to fight in the battle.
In the battle for righteousness, God is looking for men and women who hold strong convictions against the glamorised moral pollution in society. If they will dare to stand, they are God’s choice.
Thought for the day
Great qualifications are nothing where faith in God and courage to stand for the right is lacking.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Out of Gideon’s 32,000 volunteers, only 300 soldiers were approved as qualified and fit for service by our all-seeing and all-knowing God. He sees and knows beyond all human interviewers and assessors. May the good Lord continue to guide and direct our leaders in all matters small and great, in Jesus name. He will fit us for service here on earth and over there in heaven above in Jesus name. Amen
Out of Gideon’s 32,000 volunteers, only 300 soldiers were approved as qualified and fit for service by our all-seeing and all-knowing God. He sees and knows beyond all human interviewers and assessors. May the good Lord continue to guide and direct our leaders in all matters small and great, in Jesus name. He will fit us for service here on earth and over there in heaven above in Jesus name. Amen