“God said to Gideon: “I’ll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home.”(Judges 7:7 The Message Bible)
It’s March Madness time, where college basketball teams compete for a national championship. If you have been following, there have been many upsets that have taken place. Low-seeded teams have defeated top-seeded teams. The underdogs, in many cases delivered the unexpected, victory over a big team, a big team among the bigger schools, schools with the biggest, reputable athletic programs.
When you read the verse above in context, you will see how God whittled Gideon’s army of 32, 000 down to 300 men, and gave the people of God a victory over the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east that were lying in the valley as numerous as locust; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. I usually refer to this as one of my favorite biblical accounts to emphasize that we can take small means and achieve great results with faith, and with God on our side.
Like the underdogs in March Madness, you may be facing a big hurdle that you must get over, a great concern that is stealing your joy, a destined battle with some situation that will bother you on your job, an illness that has the potential to defeat you, a tremendous economic predicament, or some other “opponent” that life brings. Well, as the old preacher used to say, “I stopped by to tell you this morning,” that the Lord is on your side. Keep the faith! Follow His instructions! Be reminded of your past victorious experiences with big ordeals and great challenges that the Lord delivered you out of, and gird up your loins, knowing that the Lord can still give underdogs the unexpected victory. Know this! From Heaven’s perspective it is not unexpected. God’s power is unmatched, unparalleled, and undeniable! That’s undebatable! My friend, trust in God and look forward to the victory that will be added to the victories we have won already!
Have a good Saturday! Continue to fight the good fight! Don’t forget to go to church tomorrow where you will get some more marching orders, or to make it seasonal in line with March Madness, go where you will get some more plays drawn up on the clipboard for life, called the word of God. That will aid you in your win over your opposition. Don’t let the opposition lift up its head! Lift up your head! Be blessed!
“So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.” (Judges 8: 28 New American Standard Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King