The Friday after Septuagesima Sunday
Posted on February 21, 2025 by under
Scripture: Judges 7:1-8 (NKJV)
7:1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 7 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” 8 So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
Devotion
God knows that we are frightened. We are frightened of death. We are frightened of the unknown. We are frightened of being alone. Because our connection to God was severed in the fall, we are in many ways in the dark. We are lost, alone, and frightened. Part of what God does for His children is He gives us comfort and assurance. He lets us know that we are safe, even though we cannot see our way forward.
Yes, when God reduced Gideon’s army down to three hundred He was displaying His power. Yes, when God dramatically reduced the army He was showing that success was really from Him, not the might of the army. But He was also demonstrating that He is in control. God’s plans cannot be thwarted. God’s promises cannot fail. If we trust His Word, we cannot fall.
Even though we cannot see yet, even though we are frightened, we are in God’s hands. The unknown to us is not unknown to Him. The death we fear is conquered by our Lord. The loneliness we experience here will be as nothing to the love and fellowship we will know in His kingdom. There is good reason why our Lord Jesus Christ so often says to us, “be not afraid.”
Collect: O Lord, we beseech Thee favorably to hear the prayers of Thy people: that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by Thy goodness, for the glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
