But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men.” (Judg. 7:4)
NAPOLEON HAD 115 strategic and tactical principles of war. The Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest had only one: “Get there first with the most men.”
In our view of warfare, an army’s size is crucial to its success. But in God’s economy, who receives the glory for success is more important. He planned to deliver Midian into Israel’s hands, but the glory was to be His and His alone. This was so critical to the Lord that He reduced Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300 just so there would be no doubt that He was responsible for Israel’s victory.
God is intent on receiving glory and He will not share His glory with anyone else (Isa. 42:8). God’s not on some kind of divine ego trip. He must be the center of all things, the supreme being. If He were less than that, He would cease to be God. We are weak; He is strong. We are limited in our thinking and understanding; He is wise beyond measure. There may be times in our lives when we question God’s resources. It is then that we need to remember 1 Chronicles 29:11: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
When someone extols your success, make sure you turn the praise to God.
Nancy Reinke lives in the Colorado Rockies with her artist husband. She enjoys writing, photography, hiking, gardening, grandmothering, and encouraging others.
