We see Gideon’s battle today. But it isn’t what you may expect. First, there’s no battle. Gideon and his troops are standing, blowing their trumpets, smashing their jars, but not fighting. The Lord confuses them, and they actually turn on each other. But what is even more is the Lord culls Gideon’s herd, leaving him with the smallest, the worst, and the weakest of all the troops. There is no way that Gideon can claim he won this battle. It is the Lord. The Lord wins this battle. God is always for the underdog.

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Good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Thursday morning as we continue our time in Gideon’s story. Looking over the passages, I’ve now got a pretty good outline of what we’ll be covering over the next few days.

We’ll finish chapter 7 today with the big battle. Tomorrow (Friday), we’ll look at chapter 8—the aftermath of the victory. Monday, we’ll look at Gideon’s downfall, and Tuesday will be about his death. Then I’ll be out of pocket for a little while—May 21 through 26—and we’ll pick back up on May 27.

So, we’re not quite done with Gideon yet, but today we reach the heart of his story: the actual battle. Let’s look at Judges 7. We won’t read all 25 verses here, but you can find a link to the full passage. I want to hit the highlights, starting with verses 1–8:

Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops that were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them below the hill of Moreh in the valley. The Lord said to Gideon, “The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’ Now therefore proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.’”

Then Gideon sifted them out: 22,000 returned, and 10,000 remained. The Lord said to Gideon, “The troops are still too many.” He told him to take them down to the water, and the Lord gave him a test to separate them further based on how they drank.

Of those, 300 lapped the water like dogs, and the rest knelt to drink. The Lord said, “With the 300 who lapped, I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand.”

Now skip down to verse 19:

So Gideon and the hundred who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp during the middle watch. They blew the trumpets and smashed the jars in their hands. The three companies did the same, holding torches in their left hands and trumpets in their right. They shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

The men in the Midianite camp panicked. The Lord caused them to turn their swords on each other. The army fled, and Gideon and his men pursued them.

This is one of the most incredible stories in the Bible. Gideon started with about 32,000 troops. First, 22,000 were sent home because they were afraid. That left 10,000. Then, based on how they drank water, 9,700 more were sent home—leaving just 300.

There’s been a lot of commentary over the years about why God chose the ones who lapped like dogs rather than those who drank more “properly.” Some suggest these were the least disciplined or least refined soldiers—perhaps even the most reckless. In other words, out of the original 32,000, God may have left Gideon with the worst 300, not the best.

Why? Because God didn’t want anyone—even Gideon—to think the victory belonged to them. This wasn’t about military brilliance or strength. It was about God’s power alone. The battle wasn’t even fought with swords. The 300 broke jars, blew trumpets, waved torches, and shouted—and God did the rest. The Midianites turned on each other in confusion. There is no way Gideon or Israel could claim credit. This victory belonged to the Lord.

Scripture tells us that God uses the foolish to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong. God doesn’t always pick the most qualified or most capable. God uses the willing, the humble—the ones who know where their strength comes from.

So today, if you feel inadequate, unworthy, or unqualified, you may be right where God wants you. Maybe you’re thinking, “There are so many people better, smarter, more faithful, or more gifted than I am.” That’s okay. God isn’t looking for perfection. He’s looking for trust. He’s looking for someone who knows the victory is His.

Don’t focus on what you can’t do. Focus on what God can do. It’s not about your strength. It’s about His. You may be looking at your schedule today thinking, “Lord, there’s too much. I can’t handle it. I’m not enough.” And God whispers back, “You don’t have to be. I am.”

Gideon’s whole story has been leading to this moment, where God makes it unmistakably clear: “I am the one who delivers.”

So today, if you feel like the underdog, you’re in good company. And you’re exactly where God can work.

Thanks for being with us. Tomorrow we’ll look at what happened after the battle—because Gideon’s story still has more to teach us.

Have a great day. See you in the morning.