A Closer Look
The story of Gideon is a well-known one. The timid man is called by God to be a Judge in Israel. He’s often considered the greatest of all the judges.
With a measly army of just 300 men, they defeat the Midianite contingent of 135 000. Now, often the big Sunday school takeaway is the great faith of Gideon - that his guys could win even with the odds stacked against them.
And, while that assessment is a fair one, I don’t think it’s the main point. You see, originally Gideon had 32 thousand men.
In Judges 7:2, The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me saying, ‘My own strength has saved me.’"
The chief priority for our lives – just like in Gideon’s – is that God would be glorified. And, not surprisingly, the main obstacle in His way is our pride. God isn’t content with Israel delivering Midian even outnumbered four to one. There would be room for them to claim success, but with just 300 they would know that victory belongs to the Lord. As you mature, boast not in your great faith; boast in our great God.