Judges 7: Against All Odds

In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, "Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back."

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Ignoring Joshua's orders to clear the land, the Israelites instead settle in among its pagan occupants and soon start acting like them. They are suffering from a leadership crisis of huge dimensions. For 80 years they followed two outstanding leaders- Moses and Joshua- who now prove impossible to replace. When the 12 tribes splinter apart and retreat into separate territories, God turns to more regional leaders called judges.

Gideon, whose family and village have regressed and begun to worship the pagan god Baal, has absolutely no plans for heroics until the angel of the Lord comes to him with a battle commission. Even in the face of God's clear direction, Gideon demands repeated signs from the angel that God truly has spoken and chosen him to lead his people. God, though, accepts Gideon's halfhearted faith, gives him confirmation that he seeks, and eventually molds him into a courageous leader.

When the time comes for Gideon to strike a decisive blow for the Israelites, God gives instructions that would daunt a seasoned general, much less an inexperienced flawed leader like Gideon. Following orders, Gideon reduces the size of his army from 32,000 men to a pitiful 300 men. If an army so outnumbered can prevail, the against-all-odds victory will prove beyond doubt that God is in charge and worthy of their trust. Knowing the young Israelite's potential, God patiently works to bring Gideon to the point of courage by encouraging him, directing him and, ultimately, transforming him. Virtually overnight, Gideon becomes a strong and decisive general. Using noise and lights as scare tactics, his small band scatters the enemy, the Midianites, and ushers in an era of freedom.

Life Question: Is God using you in any unlikely ways, considering your background and abilities?

I began sponsoring a little boy (Micheal Chisambi who lives in Zambia, Africa) about 1 1/2 years ago. I stumbled upon the Christian Children's Fund on the web, and basically selected the little guy from what seemed to be an uncountable number of applicants. It was such an uncomfortable feeling attempting to choose a person that you could have the opportunity to better their quality of life. After scrolling through numerous pages, I returned to the home page and chose the first little guy who was 4- the age of my Josh at the time. Anyway, I write this because I shamefully have lived so much of my life indifferent to the fact that I have been so incredibly blessed, and yet so many people in the world struggle for simple survival. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I received my first letter from Micheal's family, and we now correspond at least 6-8 times a year. I really look at this experience as a wake up call from God in trying to make me a more compassionate person.