Trusting In God’s Providence
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Judges 7:1-25 and Psalm 29 (NIV)
(Daniel Tong, SGM – Core Team Member)
READ:
Judges 7:2 stood out to me:
The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’
OBSERVE:
Gideon had called the Israelites to arms and gathered with him were no less than 32,000 men. These numbers probably gave Gideon some degree of confidence that he could defeat the Midianites; after all, he had a sizable force!
However it was apparent that God wasn’t concerned whether Gideon had managed to mobilise enough Israelites to defeat the Midianites, but whether they would forget Him and think they had achieved victory with their own strength (v2).
What happened next was a series of actions to reduce the number of men in Gideon’s army. The final number was 300 and it was with these men that God intended to defeat the Midianites. It is clear that Gideon’s confidence was shaken; his army had been reduced to about 1% of men who had answered the call. This can be seen in verses 10-14 when God encouraged Gideon to go down to the enemy camp and listen to what they were saying. He would know from what he heard that God had given him victory and thus the Israelites would not need to be afraid of attacking with just 300 men.
The passage ends with the destruction of the Midianite army and their leaders Oreb and Zeeb.
APPLY:
This passage reminds me that in the work that God has given me in the various ministries at Wesley, I sometimes rely on available resources such as volunteers to run a successful programme or event or mission trip. When there aren’t enough resources or volunteers and the work is too difficult to accomplish, it often makes me doubt God and ask if we should proceed or postpone the event or mission trip.
I am reminded that I need to trust in God’s provision even if it may seem ‘little’ because ultimately it is He who will help me succeed in the work that He has set for me. This is so that I will not boast in my own abilities but in His providence.
DO:
I will continue to trust in God’s provision in the work that God has given me and not in my own strength, so that I will boast in Him.
PRAY:
Thank You Lord for reminding us through Gideon’s story that we should not be relying on our own strength or abilities but in Your providence so that all the praise and glory are Yours. Let us therefore go forth with confidence, not in ourselves but in You. In Jesus’ most precious name I pray. Amen.
