WITH THE LORD LITTLE IS MUCH
Judges 6:14-16 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as if they were but one man.”
It’s no wonder Gideon questioned what the Lord was asking him to do, because in Gideon’s mind he was the least qualified person to lead an army against not only the Midianites, but also the Amalekites and all the other eastern army’s around him. He was a farmer and Israel didn’t even have a well trained standing army. He would be starting from less than zero when you consider that he was to be their leader and he was certainly not a mighty warrior as the angel had said. Who would follow someone like him? Gideon would go on to not only lead the Israelites to victory over the huge armies they were facing, but he would do it with an incredibly small army of his own. By doing this God would not only show the Jews that he was greater than all the gods they had turned to, but greater than than all the combined armies that threatened them. The God of their fathers was truly God Almighty. God had used the least in Gideon and his small army to show how great he was.
Time and again we see in God’s word how God will choose the weakest to demonstrate his greatness. God took a wandering nomad in Abraham and through him possessed lands, made nations, had kings and a multitude of people come through him. And most of all God would bring the promised one to bless the earth through him in Jesus Christ. God would use shepherds, fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes,carpenters and even children to do great and wonderful things. None of them like Gideon had any idea the potential that was in them until God would enable them. God can do the same with anyone that is willing to be used by him for his glory. The only thing that is holding God back is our free will to accept God’s call and step out in faith. Like with Peter we often make two big mistakes. First we think we can not do it, and then we think we can. In both cases we see the task in light of our own ability. Only when we see what is asked of us in light of God doing it through us, will we have the confidence to step out in faith to do it and then depend on the Lord to get it done.
In Matthew 14:22-33 we see Peter a simple fisherman getting out of a boat in the deep and dangerous Sea of Galilee in the midst of a terrible storm and start walking on water. Think of the courage that this took! Well, in reality it was not courage at all, because common sense would have kept him in the boat. What got him out of the boat was looking into Jesus’ eyes and trusting him!
Then this very same Peter that did this told Jesus in Matthew 26:33 that, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Well, Peter did as Jesus said he would by disowning him three times. What we can do in God’s strength is amazing, and what we can mess up in our own strength is amazing too! Gideon found out for himself that truly greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. (I Jn 4:4) I am sure that you have had times where God has done amazing things through you too. I praise the Lord that he has, can and will continue to use the most insignificant and humble of people to glorify his Son Jesus Christ.
Let’s put self aside and decide that we are going to keep looking into the eyes of Jesus so we can walk on water, visit the hurting, take the lonely out to lunch, cut that neighbor’s lawn that is sick, make that batch of cookies, give someone a call to check on them, put an arm around the broken and the list goes on and on.
Prayer: Lord, sometimes we get caught up in our poor self-esteem, and because of our free will we miss out on having you using us to bless others and glorify yourself. Let your strength in us do things we wouldn’t even think of on our own. Help us to go in the strength we have knowing that with you little is much. Please glorify yourself in our lives. We love you Lord Jesus!
