DECEMBER 18, Judges 7:1-3

Men from the other tribes of Israel answered Gideon’s call ( Judges 6:35). The Israelites now had an army of 32,000. However, compared to 135,000 enemies, Gideon’s army was still small. And, guess what? God told Gideon that he had too many soldiers! God explained that He did not want Israel to think that they could save themselves. God is all-powerful. Whatever strength and wisdom that we have are all given by God. He did not want Israel to boast of themselves. God instructed Gideon to use the test of courage to trim down his army. The people were probably told the battle would be fierce and dangerous. Since they were up against a much greater force, the probability of serious injury and death would be high. So those who were fearful or too afraid to stand up for God were told to leave. And you know what? 22,000 left Gideon! Dear reader, do you know how many were left? Yes, only 10,000! But God still said Gideon’s army was too big! Tomorrow you will find out how small an army God had in mind!

See who else dared to stand alone against the enemies...

1. The prophet (ljhiea) __________ challenged 450 false prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-22).

2. The Apostle (etrpe) __________ was chained between two soldiers in prison, with guards at the door, but the angel of the Lord saved him (Acts 12:5-10).

3. The Syrian soldiers, horses and chariots went to capture the prophet (lsheia) __________ but the Lord delivered him (2 Kings 6:11-17).

Do you find it tough to stand up for God? To “stand up” means to speak for, support or defend a belief or someone. If you love God, stand up for Him and be brave enough to let others know you’re a Christian!

Thought: Am I afraid to stand up for God? If I were in Gideon’s army, would I have stayed or would I have left?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please grant me courage to stand up for You always. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.