Judges 7:9-18

Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, 11 and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant down to the [i]outposts of the army that was in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I [j]had a dream; [k]a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it [l]upside down so that the tent lay flat.” 14 His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”

15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” 16 He divided the 300 men into three [m]companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. 17 He said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, [n]do as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

God knows our weakness, and He knows our doubts. Without Gideon saying anything more, God knew he was nervous about taking 300 men to defeat an army “numerous as the sand on the seashore.”

So He gives Gideon encouragement by way of the very enemies he is to fight. Can you imagine sneaking into the camp, the nerves on edge, only to find out your enemies were having dreams about you knocking them flat? What a relief and a huge confidence boost that must have been for Gideon.

Rest assured, whatever you struggle with, God knows it. He cares more about you than anyone ever will, and He wants to help you with your weakness. God wants to be the strength in your weakness, to show you that He can do great things through you. Trust Him, even when you feel weak, and remember that when He calls you, He calls you knowing all your strengths and weaknesses already.

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