What God Can Do In One Day—
What can God do in one day? In a mere twenty-four hours, what can God accomplish? From sun-up to sun-down, just how much good can God do? Gideon knew how much. Gideon saw how much good God could accomplish. Gideon saw the miracle (with his own eyes), and Gideon saw God perform the miracle and saw the way the enemy was defeated—All In A Single Day!
Go with me to the Old Testament to the time Israel lived with judges, rather than a king. This was the time before God allowed Saul to become King Saul, and this was the time before the prophet Samuel visited a man named Jesse, looking over Jesse’s sons because the Lord had instructed the prophet how the future king of Israel (King David) was a son in the household of Jesse. This is when David, the shepherd-boy, tended his father’s sheep, and this was the time before the young David slew the giant Goliath. This was the time of preparation.
The miracle of God is recalled within the Old Testament, and within the story of Gideon—we see God & we see just what God can accomplish within a single day.
This morning I sat reading Judges 7: 1-25 & Judges 8: 1-35.
I encourage you to take time to read these chapters too.
Gideon was camped beside the spring of Harod.
The Midianite army was camped to the north.
The valley lay between them.
Gideon arose early in the morning, &
“The LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’
‘Now therefore come proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’ So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.”
(Judges 7: 2-3)
I imagine how Gideon peered across the valley to where the enemy was camped (a Midianite army so numerous, they looked like locusts everywhere).
Then I imagine how Gideon looked at his shrunken army, once 22,000 men strong and now cut down to 10,000.
This is where I imagine Gideon was thinking, “God, we are too few.”
“Then the LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there.’”
(Judges 7: 4a)
Right here, we see God & we see just what God can accomplish within a single day.
The LORD once again trims Gideon company of fighting warriors from 10,000 to the large number of 300 men, but then the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY does something amazingly beautiful. God gives Gideon eyes and ears to see the LORD’S victory—Even before the Battle! It’s quite wonderful how God always cares for us: our fears, our needs, our worries, our struggles, our burdens, our everything—Our LORD always takes care of us When We Allow Him to be LORD over us. The story of Gideon reminds us of this truth. During that same day (now night of that single day) the LORD instructs Gideon to take one man with him and to go across the valley to the outpost of the enemy army, getting close enough to hear their generals talking. That’s right. Gideon and Purah had to get that close; they had to trust God! That is where God allowed them to hear about the victory BEFORE the victory even occurred! That’s Right!
Gideon and Purah overheard a man relating a dream he had, a symbolic dream that entailed a barley loaf tumbling into the Midianite army, how the loaf tumbled into the tent, and how the tent fell down flat.
“His friend replied, ‘This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.’
When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, ‘Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands.’
He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.
He said to them, ‘Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do.
When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’”
(Judges 7: 14-18)
“The rest,” they say, “is history.” Gideon and his 3 companies of 100 men each, did just as Gideon instructed, and that day—in a single day—they saw what God Can Do!
That was the day (at the middle watch, the wee hours of the night) Gideon and his men received the victory God promised!
The battle of Gideon and his 300 warriors against an army that had so many chariots that they could not even be counted—reveals the power of God!
Please read the rest of this Old Testament story to see how God totally confused the enemy army so much they turned their swords upon one another and how the remaining enemy warriors fled in fear—all because of the power of our Amazing God! There is also a beautiful melody by Colton Dixon—“Miracles.” Listen if you have time.
- Today, I was reminded of the miracles of God!
- Today, I was reminded of the LORD’S words to his faithful servant, Gideon: “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, . . . .”
- Today, I was reminded of the LORD’S way of doing things—“Then the LORD said to Gideon, ‘bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there.’”
- Today, I was reminded of what God can accomplish within a single day when we are obedient.
- Today, I was reminded of how the battle is not ours, but God’s!
- Today, I was reminded of how we must trust God—fully!
- Today, I was reminded of how God cares for His own.
- Today, I saw a miracle of God nestled upon the pages of the Old Testament.
- Today, I read the Word of God, given to the Apostle Paul (written in a letter to the church of Philippi) &
- Today, I leave you with these encouraging words.
All In A Single Day!
- May we keep our eyes upon God & Watch What Our Mighty God Can Do in Our Single Day—Even Today!
- May we keep our focus upon the LORD & Be encouraged.
- May we remember the way God saved our soul. &
- May we remember how Jesus Himself holds us. &
- May we recall how God Himself is preparing us for the day we arrive home in heaven. &
- May we be Totally Amazed as we recall—The Miracle God Performed in Our Life!
- May we See in our minds Just What Our Amazing God Can Do—In Just One Single Moment of a Day!
“Now that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect [become a child of God], but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 3: 12)