Judges 7:1

Judges 7:1 says, Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.  Gideon and those and with him got up early and gathered at the well of Herod, with the army of the Midianites to the north of them.  We today cannot as easily identify where all our enemies are, though some are easier to identify than others, but we always know that God is with us as Christians.  Verse two adds, 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.  God then told Gideon that the army he had gathered was too large.  God said that if He delivered the Midianites to them with that great of an army, that the people of Israel might brag that they had delivered themselves from the Midianites and not give the glory to God.  I believe that too often today we as followers of Christ are unwilling to do what God calls us to do until we can be certain that we can do it ourselves, so much goes undone.  Verse three continues, Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.  God told Gilead to tell the people that all who were fearful and afraid could go home, and twenty-two thousand left, leaving an army of ten thousand.  Verse four declares, And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.  God then told Gideon there were still too many, and for him to bring them down by the water and God would then tell him who to keep and who to send home.  It may be that at times today God is reducing the number to fight a particular enemy, not because many are not willing to fight, but so that the world can see the power of God at work.  Verse five adds, So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.  God told Gideon to separate those remaing by the way they drank water, separating those who lapped like a dog from those who kneeled and drank.  Verse six continues, And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.  There were three hundred who brought their hand to their mouth and lapped the water, and the rest knelt down to lean over and drink the water.  Gideon may have been hoping that the three hundred were the ones who would be eliminated, just as we todsy may wish for greater numbers to accomplish what God has called us to do, instead of wanting to simply have those that God has called and empowered to help us.  Verse seven states, And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.  Instead of sending the three hundred home, God told Gideon that He would deliver the Midianites to him by them, and for Gideon to send the rest of them home.  No matter how large an enemy may be today, if we are faithful to God, He has already giving us the everlasting victory, and even if we feel that we need more people to join us in the battle, we need to go with those who God has called to be with us and not great number's that He hasn't called.  This does not mean that we are better than them, but simply that God has not called them into this particular battle.  Verse eight adds, So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.  By God's direction, Gideon kept only the three hundred to engage in the battle against the Midianites.  Gideon had questioned God when He called him and twice demanded a sign, but now he was willing to do what God said without questioning Him, even if it made no sense in worldly thought.  We need to act by faith when God calls us, without asking for signs or questioning the logic of the situation.  If we are truly acting by God's directions, that is all that matters.