Did You Hear That?

“…just as a man was telling his companion about a dream.”  [Judges 7:13]

Rarely do I have dreams at night. Or, maybe a better explanation is that I rarely remember the dreams I’ve had. Apparently, research has shown that we all have dreams every night. For some reason, I doubt that research! But on the rare occasion I remember a dream, I usually don’t share it with anyone, especially with any of my male friends! (FACT: Men don’t tell each other about the dreams they had the night before. Sorry ladies, it’s just the way it is!)   

Gideon assembled an army of 22,000 fighting soldiers, but God told him that was too many. Ultimately, 21,700 of them were either too afraid to continue or did not pass the “slurp” test (read the story). Soon, Gideon and his army of 300 men were to fight against the mighty Midianite army. To say they were outnumbered would be an understatement! In realizing these unlikely odds, Gideon became fearful. Can you blame him?

God knew that Gideon was feeling fearful, so He instructed him to spy out the enemy camp and listen to what the Midianites were saying. Taking one other warrior with him, Gideon sneaks up quietly on the Midianite camp. At the exact moment Gideon and his soldier arrive on the outskirts of the camp, they overhear a Midianite soldier telling his companion about a dream he had the night before. After hearing the story, the Midianite’s companion exclaims, “Your dream can only mean one thing – God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”  Was it mere “coincidence” that Gideon arrived at that precise moment to hear the dream and its interpretation? No! As a result of overhearing the Midianites’ conversation, Gideon went from being fearful to faith-filled!  

How about you? Are you facing something that seems overwhelming? Are you fearful of the outcome? Why not turn to God and ask Him for a new perspective that will replace your fear with faith.

Are you fear-full or faith-filled?