One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. (Joshua 23:10)
The Lord delights in giving victory to His people and He delights in making sure everyone knows who is responsible for that victory. When one of God’s saints routs a thousand opponents, who can argue as to the reason for the victory?
Recall the way our Lord dramatically culled the fighting force that Gideon was going to lead against the Midianite army. Gideon started with 32,000 men, but the Lord God selected just 300 of them to fight against 135,000. Why did God reduce Gideon’s army to one man for every 450 Midianites? So that God—not Gideon or his army—would get the glory.
The Master’s math offers us a truly magnificent message of encouragement today. Think about anything that has come up against you today. Do the odds against you seem overwhelming? Does the obstacle that stands in your way seem too much to overcome? Let not your heart be troubled, “because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.” Gideon and his small band of 300 did not fight against the massive Midianite army in their own strength. They did not even carry weapons of war when then went into battle! All they had were trumpets, empty jars, and torches; God fought for them and they won the day.
Therein lies the secret to success, regardless of what you are facing today. If you attempt to conquer your “Goliath” in your own strength, you will not prevail. God does not allow His people to gain the victory apart from His strength and His strategy. For the Lord Almighty has said, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6). We must always remember that the Lord’s ways are not our ways, and what may seem like foolishness to us is actually faithfulness to God. In God’s economy, one person in ministry is always the majority, because God is leading the way.
God called Abraham to found a nation. God called Moses to lead the people of God out of bondage. God called Esther at precisely the right time to singlehandedly save God’s people. God called Peter to preach at Pentecost. The question that I want to ask you is this:
What has God called you to do for His glory?
Remember, the only way that the shepherd boy David could have victory against the giant Goliath was because he looked away from his own strength and depended completely on God’s power. As David wrote in one of his magnificent psalms of praise –
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 124:8)
Regardless of where this message finds you today, remember that the Master’s math always adds up for your good and for the glory of God.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 