The Odds

Every major sporting event seems to have odds set by the people who handle the betting process for the event. For example in the most recent super bowl the odds on favorite was the Carolina Panthers. It simple meant that the bookies and the people placing bets picked Carolina to beat Denver by at least 5 points. As the game was played, it was a bit lopsided toward Denver because of the Denver defense rising up to stop the powerful offense that Carolina was known for. The odds are always calculated by bookies and then by the participants in some sort of mathematical way so that the people handling the betting also make money no matter who wins or looses. Sometimes when the team that is the underdog hears the odds of them loosing, it motivates them to reach down and step up their game.

Gideon was God’s chosen leader to take on the Midianites who had “taken over” their land. They Midianites had moved in and stolen their crops and anything of value. The Lord tells Gideon to assemble an army and he starts out with 32,000 men against an army at least 3 or 4 times their size. The Lord tells him that there is too many men, so he tells them if they are scared, they can go home. I’m not sure he was expecting 22,000 of them to go home. The Lord told Gideon that there were still too many. Check this out…

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, ‘Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.’ 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The Lord said to Gideon, ‘With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.’ 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. (Judges 7:5-8 NIV)

The Lord pared down the number from 32,000 men to 300. I believe the Lord was teaching Gideon and the Israelites something about the odds. The odds were heavily favoring the Midianites, but that was just the way The Lord wanted it. He sends Gideon down to do reconnaissance before the attack and the Lord has already instilled a healthy dose of fear into the Midianites.

Gideon took 300 men and divided them in the three groups of a hundred each. They had torches and trumpets instead of chariots, spears and swords. The Lord used those 300 men to rout an entire army. The army of Midian mostly self-destructed thanks to the Lord fighting on Israel’s behalf.

This passage made me realize that the Lord completely flips the odds upside down in my life all the time. If I were a betting man, I might bet against me pretty often. I’ve learned that I would never bet against the Lord. The odds are always on the side of the Lord, therefore I want to always be on His side. He can help me walk through any trouble I face. He can help me walk through suffering. He can help me walk through the darkest night. His Presence always moves the odds into my favor.

Pressing On!

Dwayne