“And the Lord said unto Gideon, ‘The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, ‘Mine own hand hath saved me.'” Judges 7:2
Dear Ones:
In the book of Isaiah, we read the following words of the Lord: “I am the Lord: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.” (42:8) Why does the Lord declare this concerning His glory? From the standpoint of that which is righteous, or right, in the sight of God, since His glory is the revelation of who He is and what He does, it is thus the truth to say that every manifestation of His Person and Work has its origin, and essence in and by Him alone. As one French Pastor wrote many years ago: “All is in Christ, by the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God…all else is nothing.” Satan may try to “steal” God’s glory. Sinful man may think, or say, that he has a part in the nature and manifestation of it. But ultimately, the glory is God’s and His alone. To think or declare otherwise, is to believe and express a lie. And we know that there is only truth in God, and never a lie. Why is this matter so very important, and how does it apply to our very lives?
When God called and commissioned Gideon to save Israel from the hand of the Midianites, it was a Divine matter, one in which the God of heaven revealed His will concerning the man of His choice, but also, the mission to which he was called. God found in Gideon a man who would do His will by faith, one who would trust Him for all that was needful to accomplish that which was impossible. Ultimately, God found in the man Gideon one who would safeguard His glory, obeying Him in such a manner, that faith would have ONLY God as its objective and confirmation. Gideon, having received the call of God, and the confirmation that God was truly leading in the matter, was faced with an impossible feat, that of defeating the Midianites, a godless and wicked multitude, who were in league with the Amalekites, and “…all the children of the east.” Already the challenge was enormous, but then, the Lord would remove all possibility that Israel would, upon miraculously defeating the enemy, think and declare that it was by their own resources and power that the victory would be won. Since the truth is that God alone, in revealing His glory in the victory, should receive the glory, God makes it in the eyes of all concerned an impossible accomplishment, from a human standpoint. However, that which is impossible with men, is possible with God. Thus, He must receive all the glory. The question then becomes, can God find a man, or woman, with like faith as Gideon, who will obey God against all odds, believing that the victory will be won? And can He find someone who will give Him all the glory?
We might be saying to ourselves, “Well, I am not Gideon, nor even like Gideon’s three hundred faithful soldiers. God can’t work in and through me to manifest His glory.” To address this matter, let us remember what Paul wrote the Corinthian believers: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and the things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: THAT NOT FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE.” (1 Cor. 1:27-28) God is not looking for great men and women. He is looking for someone who will trust Him implicitly, whole-heartedly, obediently believing Him for all that is necessary for the revealing of His glory in the victory that He gives. Who can He find who will give God all the glory?
Dear Father, Make us to be humble, yet strong, faith-filled, followers of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad