The Uncommon…

Have you ever felt too small? Have you ever felt defeated before you even attempted to try? Have you ever felt unworthy of a task set before you?

Allow me to introduce you to Gideon. He was a young Israelite who lived in fear, despair and intimidation. For seven years, the enemy tribe of the Midianites waged war against Gideon’s people.

When we first meet Gideon, he’s threshing wheat in a wine press! Why, is he threshing wheat in a wine press rather then outside where the wind would separate the chaff from the grain? Because the enemy has already destroyed crops and stripped the land of everything they could carry away. He was hiding!

Judges 6:12-16 NCV “The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, ‘The Lord is with you mighty warrior!’ Then Gideon said, ‘Sir if the Lord is with us, why are we having so much trouble? Where are the miracles our ancestors told us he did when the Lord brought them out of Egypt? But he has left us and has handed us over to the Midianites.’ The Lord turned to Gideon and said, ‘Go with your strength and save Isreal from the Midianites. I am the one sending you.’ But Gideon answered, ‘Lord, how can I save Isreal? My family group is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.’ The Lord answered him, ‘I will be with you. It will seem as if the Midianites you are fighting are only one man.”

So, Gideon was able to summon 32,000 men, and they set up camp near the Spring of Harod, located above the Midianite base, their total being 135,000 men…now that had to be a bit intimidating!!!

Then on top of that, God gave the Israelite men who were afraid the option of going home…20,000 departed! Then the Lord instructed Gideon to lead the men down to the water and to pick only the men who reached down with their hands to scoop up water to drink. Out of the 10,000, this whittled the Israelite army down to 300! WHAT!!!

In the middle of the night, as instructed by God, Gideon divided the 300 fighting men into three groups, giving each a trumpet and an empty clay jar with a torch burning inside. Then they silently encircled the sleeping Midianites!

Judges 7:20 NCV, “All three groups of Gideon’s men, blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. They held their torches in their left hands and their trumpets in their right hands. Then they shouted a sword for the Lord and for Gideon.”

The commotion and confusion of the unaware sleeping soldiers caused chaos and defeat within the Midianite camp. All because of God the uncommon and 300 Israelite men.

I love this about our God! He is the God of deliverance. He is the God of WOW!!! He hears our prayers and, in His timing and way, answers those prayers. He is a God of the uncommon so that when he does work on our behalf, we know that we know that we know it was Him!

So the next time you are facing a mountain, an enemy, a giant, a raging river, or everyday life…remember to pray and be ready for the Uncommon!

God used Gideon, and he can use you too! Thank you for joining me, and I hope you have a blessed day!