Fear Not! Faith DevotionsSample

Trumpets, Torches and God

“The LORD said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. 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 and leave Mount Gilead.' So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained” (Judges 7:2-3).

God used fear as the first sort to reduce the number of men in Gideon’s army. Gideon started with 32,000 men and 22,000 were released from service because they trembled with fear. But God wasn’t done yet. The 10,000 men remaining were way too many for God’s purpose. You see, He wanted it known unequivocally that their future victory over Midian was because of Him and not their own strength and numbers.

God eventually reduced the remaining 10,000 men down to 300. In the victory over Midian, 120,000 Midianites were killed leaving no doubt that the victory came from God and not man. God did not need any expensive high tech weaponry either. Gideon’s army was equipped with nothing more than trumpets and torches.

The difference between the two groups: Gideon and his men had God on their side and Midian did not and they were gripped with fear. “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords” (Judges 7:22).

Fear, if unchecked, can lead to irrational behavior. Faith, on the other hand, can eliminate fear and cancel its power. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20-21).

Do you have any mountains that need to be moved? Jesus gives you an amazing promise, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). Just think of all the things Jesus was able to do on earth, and He is telling you that through Him, you can do even greater things than He did. If you can bring a mustard seed of faith to the battle, you and the Lord make a very formidable team.

Prayer: Lord, help me to realize nothing is impossible for You. You can use anyone or anything to accomplish Your purpose. May I have the courage to plant my seeds and the faith to help it germinate. In Jesus name, amen.