Diminishing Resources

It has been a busy week, I have had stuff to say but either lack of time or lack of energy prevented me.

I have to go back to a post subject from a few days back - the post about Gideon. Something occurred to me while I was participating in prayer at the start of a meeting this week. It applied to the issues facing that group, but it so applies to me and to - I think - many in our world today.

Hopefully, you've read or are familiar with the story of Gideon from Judges 6-8. Before I go further, try to un-familiarize yourself with that story. Don't just skate past the events that occurred, let them be new to you again.

Gideon had mustered an army of 32,000 men to finally resist the hordes of Midianites and other enemies that had hounded them for years.

Then God began to reduce his resources.

God told him that with an army that size, Israel would think that it was really their own military prowess that had snagged the victory - without God's assistance - so Gideon had to cutback.

This is why I wanted you to forget what you know about this story: we know how it turns out so we often assume that Gideon and all these men in his militia just knew what the outcome would be as well.

We forget that people in these Bible stories were just people like us. They stumbled around and groped blindly for the path that God lay before them. They seldom were told the whole story - like us, God told them just enough for the step they were on.

Now God spoke to Gideon so I think he had some understanding of where God was going with this strange strategy - but what if you were one of the three hundred - what would you be thinking as huge chunks of your support system were systematically peeled away?

I think I know what I would be thinking... I'd be thinking "why didn't I go home with that first group? What was I thinking - of course I'm scared!?" and "Why didn't I choose to drink from the brook in a different manner? What a GOOF I am? I'm stuck here and all my friends are going home" .

Don't you think your trust in your leaders' ability to listen and properly interpret God's plan would be tested?

Of course it would, after all it was only a short time before this event that most of the neighbors were ready to "string up" Gideon for destroying one of the pagan gods they worshipped.

I believe there are times in our lives in which God places before us an insurmountable task - and then reduces what little resources we have.

These days people are seeing their financial resources reduced, or the ability to hold meaningful employment.

Life has pounded some people to the point that they do not have the emotional resources necessary to get out of bed and face another day.

Other people are all out of solutions - and God doesn't seem to be paying attention.

For some people, their spouses have left or have stopped participating in the marriage or the family - those people have diminishing resources.

God is faithful. And He's paying attention.

AA and I were working on his Bible Hero project this week for school. His "hero" was Gideon.

As we looked at this story, we got to the part in which Gideon proposed a test to know for sure if God was really speaking to him... remember that?

AA said that he thought the Bible said we were not supposed to put God to a test. Well, he had me there. I stammered around and started down a couple of different paths to try and explain and finally just told him that I wasn't sure why God allowed Gideon to test Him.

But I do know this, God allowed Gideon to test Him. I think it was because God wanted him to be sure. So that later when God, in turn, would test Gideon - his faith wouldn't waiver.

It may be in the Bible - but someone said "Do not forget in the darkness, what you have heard in the light". When God assures us that He will not forsake us and that He has a plan and it involves good things for us - don't forget that when your support starts dribbling away.

Gideon's army did triumph

...against impossible odds.

And from what I can tell they didn't lose a man.

And there was no doubt Who had provided the victory.