March 9, 2010 - God Chooses Those Who Are Alert

Meditation on Judges 7

God wanted to show the Israelites that they could not rely on their own strength to win the battle in Judges 7:2. He directed Gideon to announce that those soldiers who were afraid should leave the battlefield. Twenty-two thousand left and only ten thousand remained.

And the LORD said that there were still too many. He asked them to go down to the water to drink. Everyone who put their hand to their month and laps from the water with his tongue as a dog laps was set apart. There were three hundred men who were chosen as God's instruments to fight the enemies. Indeed, God used these 300 to defeat the vast armies of the Midianites.

There are couple lessons here for us learn. First, our action, gesture, and habit could sometime indicate our characters and attitude of preparedness. The way how the 300 hundred drank the water in front of them gave Gideon that indication. Secondly, when we are in a spiritual battle, we need to be constantly alert. Those soldiers who did not kneel down to drink but maintained their caution and watchfulness because their enemies were near displayed their efficiency, disciplined, soldier-like characters.

Alertness counts. Are your manner and attitude prepared to serve God?