Bible Study - Little is Much with God

Introduction: God's Reduction and Gideon's Victory (Judges 7:1–24)

In Judges 7, God gives us one of the clearest pictures of His power working through human weakness. Gideon began with an army of 32,000 men to face the vast Midianite forces. Yet before the first sword was drawn, God told him, “The people that are with thee are too many.” God reduced Gideon’s army until only 300 men remained, so that Israel would know the victory belonged to Him alone. The Lord did not need numbers; He needed faith. What looked like loss was actually God’s preparation for triumph.

The lesson in Gideon’s story is that sometimes God will strip away our strength, shrink our resources, or remove our support to remind us that He alone is sufficient. When Gideon’s numbers fell, God’s glory rose. When the odds turned against Israel, God’s plan unfolded perfectly. The reduction was not rejection—it was revelation. Through weakness, God displayed His mighty hand. Through obedience, Gideon experienced supernatural success.

When the 300 shouted, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,” chaos broke out in the enemy’s camp, and the Midianites destroyed themselves. What began with fear ended in faith. What started as a reduction ended in revival. Judges 7 teaches us this unchanging truth: victory comes not by strength, but by surrender. Little is much when God is in it.

Main Idea: God sometimes reduces our resources to reveal His power. When we stop relying on ourselves and fully trust in Him, we discover that His strength is greater than our weakness, and His plan always leads to victory.

I. Too Many Can Cause Self-Reliance: Do Not Rely Upon Yourself (Judges 7:1–4)

God told Gideon, “The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands” (Judges 7:2, KJV). Gideon had gathered 32,000 men to fight against the Midianites, but God saw that Israel’s pride would lead them to claim victory for themselves. So the Lord began a divine reduction. Over 22,000 fearful soldiers went home, leaving only 10,000. Then God said again, “The people are yet too many” (Judges 7:4). When God stripped away Gideon’s resources, He was preparing Gideon’s faith for a miracle.

The well of Harod, where the army gathered, means “spring of trembling.” God positioned Gideon at a place that reminded Israel of their weakness, not their power. The lesson is clear: God reduces our strength so that His strength can be revealed. The Apostle Paul said it best in 2 Corinthians 4:7—“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” When believers stop depending on their abilities and start trusting in God’s authority, they make room for miracles.

Synopsis: God sometimes removes what we depend on most so we can depend fully on Him. Like Gideon, we must learn that faith grows best in seasons of reduction, not expansion. The fewer the resources, the greater the revelation of God’s sufficiency (Philippians 4:19; Psalm 20:7).

Five Actions to Apply:

Acknowledge your limitations – Admit that your strength alone cannot win the battles of life (2 Corinthians 3:5).

2 Corinthians 3:5 “5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;”

Avoid pride – Give God the glory for every success (Psalm 115:1).

Psalm 115:1 “1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”

Accept reduction as refinement – Trust that God’s pruning is preparing you for purpose (John 15:2).

John 15:2 “2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

Ask for humility daily – Pray for a heart that depends on God, not yourself (James 4:6).

James 4:6 “6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Align your confidence with God’s promises – Rest in His Word when your abilities fall short (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Proverbs 3:5–6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.”

II. Too Many Can Cause Strategic Reliance: Do Not Rely Upon Others (Judges 7:4–8)

After reducing the army to 10,000, God gave Gideon another test by sending the men to the water. Those who drank by bringing water to their mouths were chosen; those who knelt and drank directly from the stream were dismissed. Only 300 remained. God said, “By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you” (Judges 7:7). God separated the vigilant from the careless. He wanted soldiers who were alert and dependent on His word, not their tactics.

Strategic reliance happens when we trust in human plans or partnerships more than God’s power. The Bible says, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31). Planning is wise, but trusting in the plan instead of the Provider is dangerous. God was teaching Gideon—and us—that victory does not come from the brilliance of our strategies or the strength of our alliances, but from complete trust in Him.

Synopsis: God will sometimes remove people, plans, or patterns we depend on so we can rely on His Spirit. When God reshapes our circle, He is refining our faith. Dependence on others can be comforting, but only dependence on God is secure (Psalm 33:16–18; Isaiah 31:1).

Five Actions to Apply:

Discern your dependence – Evaluate where you may be trusting people more than God (Jeremiah 17:5–7).

Jeremiah 17:5–7 “5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

Detach from unhealthy alliances – Let go of relationships or plans that distract from faith (Proverbs 13:20).

Proverbs 13:20 “20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: But a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

Devote time to prayer before planning – Seek God’s guidance before you make big decisions (Philippians 4:6–7).

Philippians 4:6–7 “6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Develop spiritual vigilance – Stay alert to God’s direction in moments of testing (1 Peter 5:8).

1 Peter 5:8 “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

Declare your trust in God’s sufficiency – Speak faith even when resources are few (Habakkuk 3:17–19).

Habakkuk 3:17–19 “17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength, And he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, And he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

III. Too Many Can Be a Barrier to Sovereign Reliance: Rely Upon God (Judges 7:9–14)

When Gideon was left with only 300 men, God reassured him: “Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand” (Judges 7:9). Notice that God spoke in the past tense—I have delivered. Even before the battle began, victory was already guaranteed. Still, God knew Gideon’s heart and said, “If thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host” (Judges 7:10). God graciously gave Gideon reassurance through a dream he overheard in the enemy’s camp. One Midianite dreamed of a barley loaf rolling into their tents, and another interpreted it as Gideon’s victory. God let the enemy testify to their own defeat.

This moment teaches us that faith is strengthened by revelation. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When Gideon heard the enemy’s fear, he worshipped (Judges 7:15). Before the battle, before the victory, Gideon bowed in adoration. Worship came before warfare. When we rely on God’s Word, our fears fade and our faith grows. True victory begins in our hearts long before it appears in our circumstances.

Synopsis: Sovereign reliance means trusting that God’s Word is true even when our situation says otherwise. When God reduces your strength, it’s because He’s about to reveal His. Faith rests not in visible evidence but in divine assurance (Hebrews 11:1; Exodus 14:13–14).

Five Actions to Apply:

Receive God’s promises with confidence – Believe that what God says will come to pass (Numbers 23:19).

Numbers 23:19 “19 God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Respond with worship before the win – Thank God in advance for His faithfulness (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Reflect on God’s past faithfulness – Remember previous victories to fuel present faith (Psalm 77:11–12).

Psalm 77:11–12 “11 I will remember the works of the Lord: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”

Rely on revelation, not reasoning – Let Scripture shape your confidence (Romans 10:17).

Romans 10:17 “17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Rest in the finished work of God – Trust that God’s victory plan is already in motion (Philippians 1:6).

Philippians 1:6 “6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Closing Thought: Gideon’s story teaches that God does not need our abundance; He desires our obedience. Whether He uses 300 soldiers, a broken vessel, or a trembling heart, the outcome is the same—His glory revealed through our faith. When we stop relying on ourselves, others, or circumstances, and begin relying solely on God, we will discover what Gideon did: little is much when God is in it.