March 29, 2019: SOAP #3403:  Judges 6-7; Psalm 52; 1Corinthians 14

Scripture:  Judges (NIV) 7:2 The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So, twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men…

Observation:  Those are hardly the words that any military commander wants to hear.  Israel’s 32,000 was less than Midian’s number.  Then Gideon was instructed to send home anyone who was afraid.  Of course, many were afraid, they were outnumbered!  22,000 left!   And God says the same thing about the 10,000 as He did about the original 32,000: “There are still too many!”

Application:  As I was reading these verses, I heard the Lord say, “One of the troubles with the church today is not that they have too few, but that they have too many, and they always want more before stepping out in obedience.”  The more we have, the more we want.  The more we have, the more we think we need to have.  God is saying as long as our success can be attributed to our strength, our numbers, our money, and our provision—the glory will go to us.  But the glory must all go to Him!!!   We can save no one.  God’s victory does not depend on numbers, or money, or buildings, or vehicles BUT ON THE SPIRIT OF GOD!  (Zechariah 4:6)

Prayer:  Yes, Lord, it is not by might or by power or by numbers, or by money, but by Your Spirit!  Please forgive me for forgetting this important truth!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!