Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 7:2-3, 7

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 7:2-3, 7

"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place."

I found it interesting that 32,000 men came to defend Israel, and it was too many. The Lord wanted to show that this was his work. Gideon was to tell anyone afraid to leave, so 22,000 men left, and 10,000 remained. Of the 10,000 remaining they were tested further to see who would lap like a dog to drink or bow the knee down to do so. Of that only 300 would lap like a dog. This is how the Lord chose who would fight this battle by pure inspiration.

I thought upon the 31,700 men that either left or were turned away. Were they guilty of anything? No, they were not. They were all faithful. They were doing what the Lord asked them to do. Thinking about this actually made me feel greater peace about the fact we are staying home from church and participating online during this pandemic. Just like those men that were fearful and needed to stay home, they were inspired for a reason to do so. When we are faithful in what we are doing, and it does not go against what is asked of us, there is a reason we are impressed to make the decisions that we do. Recognizing the Lord's hand in his work is part of it. It is just as important to stay as it is to go.

Day 2377