Our culture is no stranger to big screen special effects. Millions of dollars are spent in studios to make phenomenal events 'appear' on the screen, whether it be an earthquake, alien invasion, endangered space flight or sinking Titanic.

In a number of incidents in the Old Testament, God used special effects to bring His people to victory (2Kings 3; Judges 7). In each instance a faithful remnant was invited to participate in His plan. Each account underscores the principle that those who walk by faith can experience victory while those who trust in their senses alone soon experience defeat (2Corinthians 5:7).

Gideon’s victorious army were not selected on the basis of their natural skill, strength or pedigree. But God wanted to use them to demonstrate His power and glory. In the New Testament Paul reminds us: "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." God's glory is most easily demonstrated when there is nothing to boast in but the His own faithfulness.

Gideon’s small army were outnumbered by the Midianites in Judges Chapter 7. The nature of the task put before them seemed overwhelming. Everything inside them wanted to withdraw from it. Gideon needed to be persuaded with every possible assurance that the Lord would give him and his people victory. God not only provided answers to his prayers, but allowed him to see that He was already at work putting fear in the hearts of their enemies. Gideon summoned his armies and they camped at "the fount of fear and trembling" (the Hebrew translation of 'Harod'; Judges 7:1).

We’ve all been there. It is the necessary starting point if we are to be used in the demonstration of God’s power. The apostle Paul writes, "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (1Corinthians 2:3). Later he writes the Corinthians, "For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn ('we had troubles on every side' KJV)--conflicts on the outside, fears within." (2Corinthians 7:5). How could this be the will of God? The Lord is at work maturing us by allowing us to face our fears and misgivings without giving in to them. To withstand the temptation to bail out when things look impossible we need to focus our faith on the trustworthiness of Christ.

The next day when they awoke, "The LORD said to Gideon, 'You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained." (Judges 7:2-3).

We can sympathize with those 22,000 who calculated the odds of their survival as a minority against the Midian hosts and went home. The Lord was not looking for great numbers. He was looking for men of courageous faith; those who were willing to demonstrate their dependence upon Him.

"But the LORD said to Gideon, 'There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there.'" The method of selection is commonly referred to as the 'water test'. Water is a life necessity. But so is spiritual victory. What separated the useable 300 from the multitudes was in the way they drank the water. Those who lapped like dogs and brought hands to their mouths were chosen. Those who got down on their knees to drink were rejected.

We recently acquired a dog and noticed that even when she is thirsty she laps water in a self-disinterested way. She is more interested in what is going on around her than the water she is drinking. Those Israelites who lapped were able to keep their eye out for what was happening on the enemy front, which they would not have been able to do if they knelt down to drink. God wants to use people who have an eye for the goal, and are keenly aware of the enemy. (Kneeling, we are told, was also a predominant sign of the Baal worship that had infiltrated Israel). They were willing to look like dogs in the eyes of their peers. They were cautious that their pursuit of necessities would not lead them to defeat.

The overcomers of Gideon’s army were those who demonstrated both courage and caution. The obedience of this small remnant enabled them to be God’s instruments for defeating the enemy. Each man was to take a trumpet and a torch set inside a clay pitcher. When the signal was given the trumpets were to be sounded and the pitchers broken. Each of the 300 appeared to be an entire fighting unit as they encircled the Midianite camp. The light shining through the broken vessels gave the impression that there were many more with the Israelites than there actually were. Or were there more? In another instance Elisha’s servant was told that when it appeared that they were surrounded by an outnumbering army, "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." (2Kings 6:16 NIV). God opened Elisha’s servant’s eyes and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Remember that one person with God is a majority.

In the end, Israel could not claim victory by any other means than dependence upon God. It’s not by might (the size of the workers, the buildings or the budget), or power (natural talent, wisdom and strength) but by my Spirit, says the Lord (Zechariah 4:6).

Looking for the Him-possible,