Building Confidence

 

    Confidence is an interesting concept.  Some people seem to just have confidence, but you don't know what they may be struggling with under the surface.  Others may come across unassuming, but hold a lot of self confidence.  For most people confidence comes over time as they becomes good at something.  

    Confidence is when you have faith or trust something.  You can have confidence in things, people, yourself, and God.  It is a conscience feeling of assurance based on trust or trial and error.  It is a form of silent communication.  

    God took the time to build up Gideon's confidence in Him and himself.  Gideon was camped near the battle field when God told him that he had too many soldiers for this battle.  It was probably a baffling thought for Gideon because how could you have too many warriors when it comes to war.  However, God wanted the people to know Him.  He was going to perform a miracle.  

    Gideon told the men that they needed to have faith to be victorious, so if anyone had any fear they needed to go home.  As many as 22,000 men went home.  That left 10,000 warriors for Gideon, but God said he still had too many, so Gideon took them to get water as a test.  Those that drank it like dogs were sent home.  The ones that gathered it and brought it to their mouths proved to stay alert in all circumstances.  They were allowed to stay.  That left Gideon 300 men for battle. They must of had confidence in Gideon and God to stay and fight with so few men.

    It was the night before the battle.  Gideon and Purah went to spy on their enemy because Gideon was nervous, but God promised to give him victory.  It was an intimating sight.  The enemy had so many it was like locust covering a field, but Gideon heard what he needed to have confidence.  Gideon had come a long way in a short amount of time, but he still had his timid moments.  His confidence in God and himself was increasing daily.  

    They returned to camp and Gideon divided the men into three groups of 100.  They only took trumpets, torches, and an empty jar with them in the middle of the night.  Their battle was strictly phycological.  They surrounded the camp and when everyone was in place they blew the trumpets waking their enemy yelling "For the Lord and for Gideon".  

    They were in a daze when the Israelites broke their jars.  The noise was alarming to the enemy, but then there was sudden light from the torches.  The enemy fled while fighting each other thinks that everyone was the enemy.  The two leaders were captured and killed.  God allowed Gideon to share in His victory to build Gideon's confidence, not to give him pride.

Judges 7