Gideon was an ordinary man chosen by God for extraordinary exploits. He was taught, as all of us are, not to depend upon our own strength or upon our own talent but to totally trust in the Lord in all that we do and in all that we face.

Let me tell you Gideon's story.

Israel was under attack by their horrific enemies, the Midianites. The entire nation was living in fear due to the cruelty of their enemy. It was during this time of fear and testing that God came to Gideon and called him a valiant warrior!

God uses times of testing and battle to change our very identity. God's opinion of you is the only one that matters, so if you are in a difficult place today, go to the Word of God for your identity and not to your circumstances. Don't ever allow the enemy to name you but listen to God's voice and agree with His powerful opinion of what you have been called to accomplish.

God then used the leadership of Gideon to completely rout the Midianites in a very peculiar and unique manner. When Gideon showed up to fight with 32,000 of Israel's finest fighting battalion, God said, "That's too many soldiers. Send some home."

So Gideon sent home 22,000 soldiers and intended to fight the enemy with only 10,000 soldiers, but even then, God said, "That's still too many. Let me weed out these fighting experts for you."

God told Gideon that he could only take 300 men into battle with him against the myriad numbers of the Midian nation.

"Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the Kedemites covered the valley like locusts; and their camels could not be counted, for they were as numerous as grains of sand on the seashore" (Judg. 7:4).

God is never intimidated by the strength or brute force of the enemy. God knows what you and I often ignore—that when God gives His power to an ordinary man or an ordinary woman, victory is sure to follow. We are not threatened by the schemes of the enemy, but we are strengthened by the Word of the Lord!

Gideon and his troops won an astounding victory that day and sent the entire army of Midian to flight. The Bible even gives us this humorous bit of information, "The men in the camp ran, shouted, and fled" (Judg. 7:21).

The forces of the enemy become crybabies when faced with the energy and the advantage of the people of God.

But the part of this epic story that causes me to pause with wonder every time I read it is found in the next chapter of Judges. After Gideon and the 300 men had won this victory, this is what the Bible says about their resolve:

"Then Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted but still pursuing" (Judg. 8:4).

Even warriors who are called to greatness become weary at times, but they never stop pursuing another victory.

If you are weary today and are not sure you can face another battle, remember the resolve of Gideon and his ragtag bunch of soldiers. They might not have looked like much in comparison to the enemy, but the God who filled their hearts brought them the victory. These weary soldiers did not allow their weakness to paralyze them from going after all that God had for them in the days ahead. If you are weary—don't stop. Keep pursuing the presence and the power of God. He has never lost a battle yet!

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written eight books, including The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, Defiant Joy!, Holy Estrogen!, No More Ordinary, Refined, Joy For All Seasons, Let There Be Joy! and Pass the Joy, Please! which releases on February 1, 2018.Her teaching DVD, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol's "Jolt of Joy" program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network. Connect with Carol or inquire about her speaking to your group at justjoyministries.com.

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