In the land of Israel, the people were often troubled by their enemies. One of the most fearsome was the Midianites, who would come and destroy their crops and livestock. The Israelites cried out to God for help, and God answered by calling a man named Gideon.
Gideon was a humble man, not a great warrior. One day, while he was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide from the Midianites, an angel appeared to him. The angel said, ¡°The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.¡± Gideon was puzzled and asked, ¡°If the Lord is with us, why have all these troubles come upon us?¡± The angel replied, ¡°Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the Midianites. Am I not sending you?¡±
Gideon was afraid, but he trusted God. He gathered a small band of men, but God told him that the army was too large. God wanted to show that the victory would be His, not because of the strength of the Israelites. So, Gideon sent many men home, and in the end, only 300 remained.
That night, Gideon and his men went to the Midianite camp. Gideon divided his men into three groups and gave each man a trumpet, an empty jar, and a torch inside the jar. When Gideon gave the signal, they all broke their jars, held up their torches, and blew their trumpets. The Midianites were terrified and confused. They began to fight among themselves, thinking they were being attacked by a massive army.
In the end, the Midianites were defeated, and the Israelites were saved. Gideon’s faith and obedience to God brought victory, even with a small and unlikely army. This story reminds us that with God, even the weakest can become strong, and the most impossible situations can be overcome.