The God of breakthrough - Gideon

    In the book of Judges, there are a number of accounts of God delivering His people, the Israelites, from their oppressors. On one such occasion, after being oppressed by the Midianites for seven years, the Israelites cry out to their God (Judges 6). He, in turn, decides to use Gideon of the tribe of Manasseh. Although Gideon points out that he  is from the smallest clan in the tribe and the youngest, God chooses to use him anyway. 
    Gideon gathers his men from various other tribes as well as his own, yet, interestingly, God tells him that the army is too big (Judges 7:2). God knew that if they were to win the battle, they would not give the glory to Him but to themselves and their own ability. He finally brought the army down to a mere three hundred men. This was indeed a tiny number because the Midianites had been joined by the Amalekites and the eastern peoples to fight against Israel and their army was many times the size of the Israelite army (v.12). Yet, even with the odds against them, God uses this tiny group to defeat their enemies and bring deliverance to Israel.
    Typically, the word “breakthrough” denotes an important development or achievement. In a biblical context, however, it signifies a sudden, powerful act where God steps in. This is what happened in the account in Judges. The Israelites were being oppressed by the Midianites and were unable to break free on their own (6:1-6). They needed God to step in and fight on their behalf and deliver them from an impossible situation.    
    In our own lives, we will find ourselves in situations where we know that we know that only God can deliver us. We may have tried everything but nothing worked. The Israelites had reached the point where they sheltered in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds just to get away from their enemies. They were terribly afraid of them and felt powerless to defend themselves. Their enemies, on the other hand, were relentless in their destruction of Israelite crops and livestock. They ravaged the land so much so that the Israelites struggled to survive. It was truly an impossible situation. But when the Israelites cried out to their God, things changed.
    Crying out to God is always the perfect solution to any challenging situation. On various occasions, when faced with difficult situations, I would hear God say “Give it to me,” and I would release it to Him, knowing that He is the answer to whatever I am facing. The battle is still not ours but the Lord’s. The reality is, we are always trying to handle it on our own. But when we turn to God and allow Him to step in and take over, there is always that sense of release and relief because the burden is no longer ours to carry.
    Interestingly, Gideon chose to point out his inability to defend his people. He told the angel of the Lord that he belonged to the smallest family in the smallest tribe and that he was the youngest. He could not see himself as a great deliverer. Unfortunately, it didn’t help when God whittled down his army to a mere three hundred men. The thing with God is that He doesn’t see the way man sees. We see our insignificance, our inability to do the job. God sees Himself working in and through us to get the job done. It was never about Gideon’s or his tribe’s or even the army’s  ability or strength but God’s. God was going to do the fighting. They had to do the trusting. It’s the same with us. God will do the fighting, we have to do the trusting. The God of breakthrough is still able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think. That’s why He is the God of breakthrough. He is able to do that sudden, powerful act that will bring us the deliverance we need when we need it. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is more than able. He is not moved by numbers, or human power or strength. He knows what He can do in spite of the odds. We need to know it too. Just trust Him.

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