Less Is More
1. Sometimes God subtracts to protect you from pride.
The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.” Judges 7:2 NLT
2. Letting go is part of winning. Every release is a rehearsal of trust.
Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’ ” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight. But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream. The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” Judges 7:3-7 NLT
God uses people who:
Are disciplined and alert. Pay attention! Don’t be stupid! The enemy is near!
Think differently. If you think like everyone else, you’ll live like everyone else.
Trust God more than strength. It’s all about surrender.
“If you can’t let it go, it already owns you.”
3. God redistributes resources to the warriors and away from those not in the fight.
So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him. Judges 7:8 NLT
Then the master said, “Now your money will be taken away and given to the servant with ten thousand coins! Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don’t have anything. You are a worthless servant…”
Matthew 25:28-30 CEV
4. The enemy isn’t afraid of your strength: he’s afraid of your surrender.
...the Lord said “...if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.” So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts...too many to count! Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. “...I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” “...Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon...victory over Midian!” ...When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” Judges 7:9-15 NLT
Message Notes: The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version. I Dare You to Change, by Bil Cornelius.