Faith Commitment
Judges 7:7 BBE And the Lord said to Gideon, By those three hundred who were drinking with their tongues I will give you salvation and give the Midianites into your hands; let the rest of the people go away, every man to his place.
Here was a man who, a short time ago couldn’t be persuaded to leave his place of hiding on the threshing floor. Full of questions and doubts, He needed to know that this being that was calling him a mighty man of valor was really from God. Once Gideon’s eyes were shifted from his own inabilities to the invincibility of God, there was a commitment made that brought with it a tenacious vision that would not be dissuaded by stacked odds. He must have been incredibly encouraged when his call to arms rendered a gathering of some 32,000 men, and his eyes surely began to shift back to their own ability to make this happen and defeat the Midianites by their own numbers and strength. Possibly he considered the gathering of the men as God’s involvement and that He would give them the strength to fight. Now, though, everything that had seemed to be God up to this point was being removed by God with an explanation that it was too much. Obviously Gideon’s perception needed to be shifted back to God as the source and the finisher of this victory.
This was when, once again, Gideon asked for confirmation that this was indeed God’s will and His plan. This question confirmed, though, there was again renewed in Gideon an unwavering willingness to complete whatever it was that God might ask, however improbable it might seem. And, with the commitment, God continued to confirm His will with faith instilling demonstration that He was at work in the Midian camp to prepare their ensuing defeat. Every faith commitment to the promise of God enabled the anointing and the power of God to His work through the willing and committed vessel.
A call has gone out to each of us from the Word for bravery and a departure from fear- for a commitment to something that God has promised to do through us. Though it will seem impossible and though the odds will be insurmountable, this will actually be confirmation that God is with us, that it will be His power, His direction and His moving that accomplish the impossibly and bring incredible victory to what might appear to be certain defeat. All He is needing from us is the commitment, the decision to present ourselves willingly to whatever task He places before us. From the point of commitment, God is ready to anoint and empower, to demonstrate His supernatural ability in the areas that seem most naturally impossible. From time to time, like Gideon, it may be tempting to shift the eyes back to what may appear to be the provision of God and allow dependence to be on the apparent natural success. At these very times it may be necessary that it isn’t the volume of numbers or the increase in finances themselves that God requires. In fact, the natural abundance itself may become a detriment to God’s working if it diverts focus from the One who doesn’t depend on number or abundance of resources. His greatest resource is commitment, and He will take the smallest and use it for the greatest demonstration of His power through the one who has made the decision to obey with unswerving diligence every detailed task He sets before him/her.
It will require the continually shifted gaze back to His presence and His power all along the way, and His Word will ever be a source for this shifted gaze and renewed commitment. With every choice made to look to Him as the Author and the Finisher, however, there will be the touch of His anointing and further revelation that this is, indeed, the path He has chosen and He is continually preparing for an ensuing victory that will have only one explanation- it was God. All He’s looking for is that faith commitment.