Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army began to run, and they cried out as they fled. ~Judges 7:21
Don’t you love cheering for the underdog? Back in the '80s and '90s, we were pulling for the five-foot-three-inch-tall NBA star Muggsy Bogues, who was bril- liantly negotiating his way in a land of giants. In golf, it was Bubba Watson hitting an impossible hook shot on the first playoff hole and winning his first major at the 2012 Masters. In hockey, it was the American boys against the Soviets in the 1980 Olympic Games. In baseball, it was the 1988 Dodgers and the 2016 Cubs.
We love to watch these courageous athletes in the face of what shouldn’t be, attempting the impossible and winning.
The story from today’s passage is one of the most unbelievable, against-all-odds stories in history. Gideon has a battle scheduled against the formidable Midianites. They’re the New York Yankees of the '60s, the Miami Dolphins of the '70s, and the Chicago Bulls of the '90s. They’re tough, they’re big, and they’re good—not to mention that there are three times as many enemy soldiers as there are fighters in Gideon’s army!
Then God has a little chat with Gideon (see v. 2). “You have too many troops,” He said. “If you go and fight with all your soldiers and they win, they’ll go home to their families and take all the credit for the victory themselves.”
“This is my battle,” God reported to a trembling Gideon, “And I want everyone to know it for sure.”
So God told Gideon to increase the odds against himself. “Cut your army down from thirty-two thousand to three hundred troops!” God told the astonished commander. If they were underdogs against one hundred thousand Midianite troops at the beginning of this story, imagine what they are now. Nonetheless, because Gideon’s men obey God and hold their positions, Scripture tells us that the Midianites ran (see v. 21). To make it really incredible, they cried as they ran. Can you hear this? One hundred thousand trained, battle-hardened men running and crying like children fleeing from a sandbox bully. It’s unbelievable.
The story of Gideon is one of those spectacular biblical accounts. But here’s the message for you and me: we are underdogs. By huge margins. Picture for a moment all the people in your world who think you’re wasting your time right now, carefully reading God’s Word, listening to His voice, then committing yourself to obedient and holy living. “It’s understandable,” they might say, “to attend church—when you have the time—but to take God seriously? To deeply desire to trust Him and live to please Him and lead your family in His truth? What are you, some kind of religious nut?”
But you quietly take refuge in the God of the Bible—the One who faithfully led Gideon to victory against the Midianites. The One who promises courage for today and hope for tomorrow. The One who gives wisdom in the face of every challenge a man faces—at work, at home, in his own heart. And you embrace a new sense of enthusiasm and expectation against the odds.
Remember you’re an underdog. But just like Gideon, you have the assurance of God’s presence. With this confidence, you can go for it. I can’t wait to see the highlight films. This is going to be good.