The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many.”  Judges 7:2

Read Judges 7

People are fickle. What seems like a commitment for someone one day, can be indifference the next. Relying on each other is essential for most plans to work properly, so when members of your team decide not to show, either physically or mentally, it’s hard not to feel defeated. It can be extra frustrating when those plans were God-given and thoughtfully prayed for. But have you ever stopped and considered that God is using that situation with limited resources to attest to HIS greatness?

When Gideon recruited an army of 32,000 men to stand against those who oppressed the Israelites, the Lord told him, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” So the Lord began to reduce Gideon’s army. When the fearful were allowed to leave, 22,000 men went home. A second reduction cut the force from the remaining 10,000 to 300 troops, of whom the Lord said, “By the three hundred . . . I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand.” And then, guess what? That is exactly what happened. 

In our life of faith, our resources can become the enemy of trust. God wants us to depend on Him, not our own strength, whether physical, financial, or intellectual.

When the Lord reduces our resources from “32,000 to 300,” it is not punishment. It is preparation for Him to be glorified through our lives as we acknowledge and trust His power. He gives us less and empowers us to do more!