Winning Battles

 

No battle mentioned in the Bible was ever won by superior numbers.

 

In fact quite the contrary. Quite often God intervened directly in the battles of his people and they witnessed many miracles.

Gideon defeated 10,000 Midianites with only 300 men. They basically ended up killing themselves.

The Amalekites had a superior army, but they were wiped off the face of the Earth because Aaron and Hur helped Moses hold the staff of God above his head.

Sennacharib and his army of Assyrians ran away in panic because an angel of God killed 185,000 of his soldiers in the middle of the night.

The Moabites thought victory would be easy when they mistook the sun reflecting off pools of water for pools of blood. And in their overconfidence, they left themselves vulnerable and were easily defeated.

In fact, when David gave in to advice to actually count his soldiers God was so angry that he made David choose between three years of famine, three months of fleeing from his enemies, or three days of plague. Just for counting the soldiers.

It was a big deal because we are supposed to trust in God, not in our physical resources.

Now, not many of us have our own little army. But we can still do the same thing. Individually and as churches. We work out our budgets, we plan our investments, and we decide if, based on that, we can do God's work or not. If we don't think we can afford it, we don't do it.

As if, somehow, it depends on us!

Thank God for people like Francis Schaeffer who set up a Bible college in Switzerland. Even though he didn't have any money, simply because God told him to.

And George Mueller who started orphanages in Britain. George didn't even think to ask other people for money. He just asked God. Perhaps that's why they never ran out!

If only our missions and charities had that attitude these days, instead of budgeting and planning. Just do God's will and trust him to provide.

If only our churches had that attitude. Of just trusting that God will provide the resources for God's work. Period.

 

Superior forces never won a battle. God always has and always will decide who wins the battle based on his will and what he wants to achieve.

Physical battles, spiritual battles. Even your personal battles. God, not anyone else, will determine the outcome if you will trust him. Don't be overwhelmed by the power of the opposition. Do it God's way and you can win regardless. No matter how impossible that might seem.

And if you don't trust him, but you are trusting in yourself or your resources - then you won't win, no matter how impossible that might seem.

The winner of every battle is decided by God. Trust him.