Imagine Gideon’s path—from hiding in a winepress, to getting a call to lead his country in battle, to asking for God’s confirmation, and then finally mustering troops to bear arms and fight.

32,000 men said yes to Gideon’s leadership. 32,000 were prepared to fight against Midian, for the sake of their freedom and for the freedom of their families.

32,000 men who were willing to fight 120,000 Midianites—all because Gideon had faith that God would keep His promises and give Israel victory.

If I’m Gideon, I would be tempted to go back to the winepress and ask someone else to lead. After all, who wants to take those odds when you consider the troop count?

But Gideon stays, and God speaks:

“Your army is too big.”

I’ve heard it said that God repeatedly stacks the deck against Himself so that, when He emerges as victorious, none of us can take the credit.

God’s solution to Gideon’s too-large army? After two rounds of cuts, where soldiers are sent home, Gideon is left with… 300 men.

Give Gideon some major credit here. He sent the other 31,700 men home, and in faith, took 300 men into battle—against 120,000 of the enemy’s troops.

Right in the middle of this scene, God tells Gideon something monumental: He tells Gideon that He has delivered the enemy into Gideon’s hands, but then says if you are afraid, sneak down into the camp and listen, and you will be encouraged.

Do you see the heart of God here?

God knows that what He’s asking of Gideon requires major faith. And so, to meet Gideon in his fear, God invites Gideon to another fleece-like moment; Gideon hears the enemy troops admit that they feel doomed to failure, and these stories give Gideon the dose of courage he needs to carry out the battle plan.

Through cunning and cleverness, Gideon prevails and has victory.

Don’t miss God’s heart. He cares about Gideon, and He cares about you. He understands we all need encouragement to do what He’s calling us to.

Where do you need to hear God’s encouragement today?