Good morning, my brothers! In Judges 7, and the story of Gideon, God wasn't looking for the strongest men. He was looking for willing men. The same may be true today. Are you willing? Let’s go! A 3-minute, 43-second read
Scroll to the bottom for a special, free opportunity to impact men around the world for Jesus.
Listen to the audio version here:
The “Less Is More” Principle
Most men spend their lives striving for “more.”
More money. More influence. More experience. More resources. More control.
Yet one of the most powerful leadership lessons in Scripture comes from a man whom God intentionally gave less.
When we first meet Gideon in Judges 6, he isn't exactly a picture of courage. He's hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat in secret because he's afraid of the Midianites.
Yet God greets him with these surprising words:
"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."
Gideon certainly didn't feel like a mighty warrior. In fact, he immediately began listing all the reasons God had the wrong man.
"My clan is the weakest."
"I am the least in my family."
In other words, I'm not enough.
Sound familiar?
Many of us spend years focused on what we lack. We compare ourselves to other men. We see our weaknesses, failures, and limitations. God sees something different. He sees what He can accomplish through a surrendered man.
But the most remarkable part of Gideon's story comes later.
The 300
As Gideon prepares for battle, 32,000 men gather to fight alongside him. It seems like a respectable army until you realize the Midianites number well over 100,000.
Even so, God says there are too many.
First, 22,000 fearful men are sent home. Then God reduces the army again. By the end, only 300 men remain.
Three hundred.
The odds are now impossible - exactly where God wanted them. Why?
Because God knew what would happen if Israel won with 32,000 soldiers: They would believe they had saved themselves.
The smaller the army became, the greater the opportunity for God to display His power.
And isn't that often how He works in our lives?
The challenge at work feels too big. The marriage seems beyond repair. The diagnosis wasn't part of the plan. The resources don't add up. The future feels uncertain.
We pray for more strength, while God is often teaching us deeper dependence.
The lesson of Gideon's 300 is not that God needs strong men. It's another reminder that God is looking for surrendered men.
Men who will trust Him when the numbers don't make sense.
Men who will move forward even when fear is present.
Men who will obey even when the outcome isn't guaranteed.
Throughout Scripture, God rarely starts with crowds. More often, He starts with a handful of surrendered men. Think about it:
A few fishermen.
A young shepherd.
Twelve disciples.
Three hundred warriors.
Men who trust Him. Men who obey Him. Men who are willing to be used for something larger than themselves.
Gideon's 300 weren't the strongest men in Israel. They were simply willing men in the hands of a powerful God.
God changed history through them.
And He wants to change the future through you and me. Will we step out and trust Him when the odds look impossible, and the enemy seems massive…and He is fighting for us?
Look around. See where He is already working. Join Him. Don’t look at the obstacles. Fix your eyes on Him.
Reflection and Action
Where in your life are you relying most on your own strength right now?
What battle have you been trying to win with more effort, more planning, or more control, when God may be calling you to deeper dependence?
If God invited you to be part of something larger than yourself, would you be willing to step forward like Gideon's 300?
-WIll
Speaking of Gideon's 300...
Over the last two years, what began as a burden to help men grow in intimacy with Jesus became the More The Man newsletter and, now, the More The Man book.
We're approaching the finish line on the book. Lord willing, it will be released on September 8.
Today, I'd like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining the mission and the More The Man 300.
Not because I need 300 book marketers. Not because I need 300 influencers.
But because I need 300 Wingmen.
Men willing to pray. Encourage. Share the message. And help place this book into the hands of men who need it most. There’s no cost, but maybe a few hours of your time over the summer.
Click here to join the More The Man 300.
As a member of The 300, you'll receive an advance PDF copy of the book, participate in exclusive Zoom gatherings, help pray over the launch, provide feedback, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the journey to publication.
Most importantly, you'll be helping advance a mission that is bigger than a book.
The mission is helping men know Jesus more intimately, become the men God created them to be, and impact other men for His Kingdom.
If that resonates with you, I'd love for you to prayerfully consider becoming one of the 300.
A wingman. A brother.
A fellow laborer in the work God is doing through More The Man.
Click here to join the More The Man 300.
