Little & Leftovers: Stewarding When You Feel Left OutНамуна

Day 2: Strength in Less

“When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels—past counting!” (Judges 6:3-5 MSG)

In the middle of all the chaos the Midianites were causing, Gideon was threshing wheat. Though it might have seemed counterproductive, as the Midianites would destroy the crops right after the Israelites planted them, Gideon had courage.

And he didn’t even realize it.

For seven years, the Midianites had been stealing their harvest. Have you ever felt like you barely get the chance to plant or sow before the enemy comes and takes it away? Maybe it’s a dream, a business venture, or even something as simple as peace in your life, only for it to be disrupted.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he called him a "mighty man of valor" and assured him that God was with him (Judges 6:12). But Gideon, feeling the weight of the people's suffering, questioned, "If the Lord is with us, why are we having so many troubles?"

Perhaps you’ve been asking the same in this season.

It’s common to equate God’s presence with ease, but Gideon’s story shows us that God’s presence doesn’t always come in the form of immediate relief from trials. Instead, God’s presence is with us in the struggle.

Has God’s presence ever surprised you?

In response to Gideon’s questioning, God did not provide immediate answers but reassured him that He was with him. Even in our lives, God doesn’t always provide the explanation we want but offers His presence instead. When God seems distant, it can be tempting to doubt His goodness and sovereignty. Yet, in Gideon’s case, God’s plan for deliverance was unfolding, even though it didn’t look like what Gideon expected.

As if Gideon wasn’t already fearful enough, God’s strategy for delivering them was unconventional. After Gideon had gathered an army of 32,000 men, God told him that the army was too large. Gideon reduced it to 10,000 and then again to 300 men (Judges 7:2-7). This decrease in size may have seemed as crazy to Gideon as it seems to me whenever I read this passage, but it was part of God’s plan. To show that victory was not in their numbers or strength. But that victory would come from His power alone.

This principle of lessening one’s army challenges our natural inclination to rely on our own measures of strength and security. We often find ourselves relying on things and people that provide us with a tangible sense of security, safety, comfort, and assurance. However, God wants us to trust in His sufficiency even when it seems like what we have isn’t enough.

When we lessen our reliance on our own strength, we invite God to display His. Gideon learned this by trusting God when the numbers were shrinking. He may have worried how such a small army could defeat the opposing army, but he still obeyed. And there are some seasons, or many seasons I should say, in which we’ll be challenged to do the same.

It’s tempting to hold back until we fully understand the plan, trying to figure out how we can regain the control we’ve convinced ourselves we have over our circumstances. But obedience requires action even when the reasons are unclear. Gideon’s willingness to obey without having all the answers reminds us that more often than not, obedience precedes understanding.

God equipped Gideon’s 300 men with trumpets, jars, and torches. Obviously, these were not your typical weapons of war, but they would end up confusing the Midianites. These unlikely weapons became the means through which God delivered His people. And they are a reminder to us that God can use anything, no matter how little it may seem in our eyes.

As you navigate this season, remember that God doesn’t require us to have all the answers or resources. He simply asks us to trust Him and use what He's given us.

To be faithful over our present portion.

To steward the strength we have left.

Because just as Gideon’s army was victorious, we too can trust that God will work with what we have—the ordinary and the little.

Reflection:

1. What are you relying on for strength or security in your life right now? Are there areas where God might be calling you to lessen your army and trust more fully in His provision?
2. What are the “unlikely weapons” in your life? What skills, resources, or gifts has God given you that you might be overlooking or underestimating? How might God be using these in your favor?

Blessing:

In this season, may you go in the strength you have,

trusting that it is enough because God is with you.

May you embrace the areas

where God is asking you to lessen your army

not as losses,

but as opportunities to see His sufficiency.

And may you see victory with less than what you thought you needed.