God's Way
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2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
judges6.2-6
2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
God’s Way
God has a unique way of looking at things!
To be frank; his way often makes no sense…
I often find myself shaking my head wondering, God, what in the world are you doing?
This is illustrated in our text.
I don’t know if Israel had ever had it worse...
They were hiding out in their own country!
The enemy was not just taking what they had but stealing their future as well!
Interesting side note: Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his second wife Keturah ()
Yet all these years later, they were decimating the Israelites on every level.
they cried out to God for help and God sent them a prophet to reveal their issues and then a seemingly unlikely deliverer.
Gideon is in hiding
Fearful
Disbeliving
He fleeces God several times
He is reluctant even in the face of all that God did to prove himself
Now Gideon is at the head of his army.
7:3 - 32,000 men
While no match for the army that the bible says was like grasshoppers on the plains (less to do with their numbers and more about the destructive nature of a grasshopper)/
32K was likely better than he hoped for!
God tells him, that 32K is too many!
If you go into this w 32K men, you will say you did it!
Tell everyone who is afraid to go home!
From 32K to 10K!
Left with 31% of what he had!!!!
God took 69% of what he had!!!!!
Still to many!
Take them down and let them drink
Send the ones that get down on their bellies and drink home. Keep those that dip their hand into the water and drink from their hands!
From 32K to 10K to 300!
That is less than 1% of 32K!
.9375%
What is God’s deal?????!!!!!
God has one purpose for everything.
It does not matter what you are facing...
It does not matter how hard it is...
God’s ultimate goal in everything: “Trust me” - God
Money problems? - trust me!
God’s ultimate goal in everything: “Trust me” - God
Family problems? - trust me!
Job problems? - trust me!
Relationship problems? - trust me!
God will do what he has to do to get you to TRUST HIM!
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.
Conclusion:
The Life Church is going through a Gideon process...
God’s message for you today: Trust Him!
Pastor’s message for you today: You're the 300 that God has chosen to wreck the devils plans for city, county, section and district!
Trust him!
You are the ones God has chosen to to be here for the fight.
I need you!
You are the ones God has chosen to to be here for the fight.
I am a part of the 300!
I need you!!!!