Fri.’s Devo - The Battle is the Lord’s

Read: Judges 7-9:21
Gideon which means “cutter downer” also had another name Jerub-baal which means “Baal will be contended with”. He was sent to do this very thing. Our natural battles always have spiritual significance. Every battle is a war against a power of the devil and it helps if we know who we are fighting.
God wanted Gideon and all Israel to know that this was not a military battle but a spiritual battle that He was going to fight and win. God wanted the victory to be in His name. So he whittled down Gideon’s army from 30,000 to 300. Then to encourage him, God told Gideon to take his servant Purah and go down to the Midianite camp and listen to what they were saying. God can use the enemy to prophesy and that is what happened. One of the Midianites had had a dream about barley bread falling into their camp and knocking it flat. They attributed it to Gideon’s army defeating them. This was the encouragement Gideon needed to fight. God gave him specific strategy.
He was to surround the Midianite camp with his men armed with a trumpet, a clay jar and blazing torches under the jar and a sword. When they broke their jars, blew their trumpets and shouted the Midianites flew into a panic and fought each other. We are the clay jars that were broken as we allow Jesus to break us for him. When this happens our light shines. When we shout, we get the victory. They shouted before they had the evidence; it was a shout of faith that God would do what he said he would. Their sword was the Word of God. As soon as they won this incredible battle and cut off the heads of the kings, they were faced with an internal battle. The people of Ephraim didn’t like being left out of the battle; they were jealous and questioned Gideon’s authority. Instead of being defensive, Gideon humbled himself and made his great victory seem small. His refusal to fight back brought peace.
Next Gideon could’t even gain the support of the people of Succoth or Penial. They paid heavily for not helping him. It seemed like no one had much respect for God’s chosen servant. This is a good lesson to us who might not agree with who God chooses to exalt. God has his reasons and it will go better for us if we support God’s choice. One day, it might be us.
Lord, help us be broken vessels that let our light shine. We shout Your victory.