What do they know?

I am currently reading through Judges.  I was struck earlier in the week by some things about Gideon.   If you haven't read it in a while, Gideon and his people are being oppressed (because they've turned away from serving God). God visits Gideon while he's in hiding and tells him he will lead the people in victory.  

In chapter 7 we find that the enemy is gathered against the Israelites.  Gideon has already sent home most of his army.  He's left with just 300 men, so God would be sure to get all the glory for the win. 

The Midianites and their allies are camped nearby; there's so many of them, they look like grasshoppers, spread across the valley.

In the middle of the night, God wakes Gideon and tells him to take himself down to the enemy camp and listen to what is being said. (I particularly like the fact that God kindly tells him if he feels afraid to take his servant with him).  Gideon gets himself down to the valley and overhears a conversation between two men...

Judges 7:13-15 (GNT) 
When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling a friend about a dream. He was saying, "I dreamed that a loaf of barley bread rolled into our camp and hit a tent. The tent collapsed and lay flat on the ground."
His friend replied, "It's the sword of the Israelite, Gideon son of Joash! It can't mean anything else! God has given him victory over Midian and our whole army!" When Gideon heard about the man's dream and what it meant, he fell to his knees and worshiped the Lord. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, "Get up! The Lord is giving you victory over the Midianite army!

Gideon hears the fact that the ENEMY already believes 
that God has given him the victory!! 

Gideon had a choice.  He could focus on the size of the enemy-army, the size of his army (300 people) or whatever, but instead he heard what the enemy already knew; that he was going to conquer them!

Mohammad Ali, world renowned boxer, used to say that he won the fight before he ever entered the ring with his punchline (forgive the pun) I AM THE GREATEST! 
His opponents would be fearful because they believed that statement. In their minds they had already lost!

We are like that, Satan sees us first thing in the morning, and if we know who we are, we would hear him whisper.  Oh no, she's up!  

We are more than conquerors.  God has already given us the victory in Christ.  Gideon heard their thoughts and his first response? He worshipped!  Then he went and got his army of just 300 people and they took the enemy utterly.

Today you need to remember what your enemy already knows about you!   
  • You are a child of the living God! 
  • You are filled with his Spirit and 
  • You have the same power that raised Jesus from in the dead flowing through you.
  • You are empowered to heal the sick and raise the dead
So today, stop being like Gideon in the winepress hiding away (Judges 6) and feeling the smallest of the small and remember that God calls you the Mighty one and your enemy well knows you win!


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