Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
Well, it is great if God is in it
And He will not forsake His own

Little is much when God is in it
Labor not for wealth or fame
There’s a crown, and you can win it
If you go in Jesus’ name

As a young adult I didn’t quite understand the meaning of this song until life took turns that forced me to fully rely on God. I came to Him with nothing it seemed—only my trust in Him with humbled obedience, seeking His will.  The words of this song, first written by Dwight Moody Brock and Kittie J. J. Suffield and later sung by the Gaither band is a reminder that when God is with us, and we are in His will, small and even insignificant resources can accomplish great things. And, of course, the Lord delights to use less to do more by His power as He accomplishes His purpose. The weaker we are, the greater the glory that will be seen by Him! 

As I grew in the faith, I noticed that some people misunderstood the words of the song.  They “leaned on their own understanding” and resorted to laziness, thinking, “I don’t have to do anything for “little is much.”  This thinking also was used as excuse to give less time, little offerings, and less of their talents to God’s work.  If I noticed, I’m sure God did!

We are to give all we have to the One who owns all and uses what we have for our good and His glory!  As further evidence for understanding; God inspired James to write, “your faith without works is a dead faith.”  (James 2:26)  Lazy stewards of God’s Kingdom work are not pleasing to the Lord, either! BE before Doing anything of significance is what God as taught me. “BE still, (letting goof what you think and possess), and Know God” is the wisdom of Psalm 46.  Being with the Lord, seeking His will and direction, hearing His details of His plan with an obedient heart—implementing what God says with your current resources, even if you might not understand; is exactly what God wants from us. 

God created all, is in all, and above all.  Nothing is too difficult for God!  God knows what He is doing in and through us to accomplish His will and plan for our good and His glory, “so no man can boast,” Paul writes, and take credit of his own limited abilities—only our unlimited God can do what God does in ways we could never dream or imagine! THIS is the true meaning of “Little is much when God is in it.”

“God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we ask or think.”(Ephesians 3:20)Whatever you’re believing for, whatever you’re dreaming about, God has a way of broaden the scope and vision to what brings out His best in us.  To God be the glory!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. God, through Jesus, His Son, did for us what we cannot do for ourselves—redeem us from all our sins, make us new, and set us free!  We don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it, we cannot do enough works for it—Salvation is a gift from God. 

Trust God, He know what He is doing! 

Read and prayerfully observe what God does in and through a timid, but obedient Gideon with a “few good men”! 

Judges 7

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. ² The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ ³ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

⁴ But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

⁵ So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” ⁶ Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

⁷ The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” ⁸ So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. ⁹ During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. ¹⁰ If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah ¹¹ and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. ¹² The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

¹³ Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

¹⁴ His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

¹⁵ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” ¹⁶ Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

¹⁷ “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. ¹⁸ When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

¹⁹ Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. ²⁰ The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” ²¹ While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

²² When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. ²³ Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. ²⁴ Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. ²⁵ They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

PLACE AND EMBRACE

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”—Paul to the church, Romans 12:1-3, MSG

God’s Word is the story of God who loves and forgives and wants us to love Him back and trust Him in all His ways.  Gideon was obedient even when he didn’t understand.  Notice that God assured Him before the battle of trumpets, breaking jars, and shouting.  God knows us inside out and knows exactly what we need when we need it most.  I love that about God!

When God is the focus of our attention; His Word reveals Truth.  With His Holy Spirit living in us; we are given the power to recognize God’s will.  We are given His wisdom to discern what is right and wrong in this world in which we live. God gives this beyond ourselves wisdom to us.  All we need to do is ask. (James 1) Realizing that God truly wants to bring out the best in us, loves us unconditionally, and thinks we were valuable enough to “die for” that set us free from the bondage of sin; the greater our intimate relationship with God grows and matures. 

In fact, the more we realize the great, profound love God has for us and is forming in us—the greater our love for each other grows and matures!  THIS is who God is and what He does to save us. To know God is to know Love—Love that is always authentic in Truth, relentless in His behaviors toward us, unchanging in His character, and is for now and into eternity! 

How can we turn a love like this down and look the other way?  I cannot. Can you?

Lord,

The story of Gideon is just another example of your wonderful power and strength that declares your glory so others will know you.  Your Word is filled with examples of taking what we have and using it for our benefit and your glory!  And, You still do that today.  I love you and love that you delight in all the details of our lives.  Thank you for bringing our full focus and attention to even more of who you are today as we give ourselves to you as an offering. I need to stop counting my resources as much as I count on you and your blessings!  You are an amazing and forever God!  I trust you with my life for you are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen