Against the Odds

When trouble is on the horizon, it can be hard to trust in God’s promises, and to believe He has a plan for us. The book of Judges in the Old Testament gives us an awesome example of trusting God in the story of Gideon. God called Gideon to lead Israel into battle with the Midianites, who had a sizable army of 135,000 men. Gideon gathered an army of 32,000 men to battle with the Midianites, but despite odds in favor of the enemy, God told Gideon there were too many men in his army. Through a selection process, God whittled the Israelite army down to just 300 men. Though Gideon was afraid, he trusted God to fulfill His promise. And God told Gideon they needed a smaller army so people would know God won the battle, and not some large army. The night of the battle, Gideon and his servant snuck into the camp of the enemy and overheard the telling of a dream. The two Midianites interpreted the dream to mean that Gideon’s small army would wipe out their larger army. Reassured, Gideon returned to camp to begin the battle. The Midianites were so frightened, many of them began fighting and killing one another, thinking that Gideon’s army was all around them. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” Gideon trusted God’s plan, even when he didn’t understand. Because of his faith, God helped Gideon and the Israelites to conquer the Midianites with an army a fraction of the size of the enemy’s. Let’s pray. Lord, you are mighty to save. Help us to trust you in every battle. We love you, and believe you have a plan for us. Give us courage to face the challenges in our lives, knowing you are here with us, and you have a good plan. In Jesus’ name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world!