在神手中，连少也变成多
士师记七1至8节
1耶路巴力就是基甸，他和一切跟随的人早晨起来，在哈律泉旁安营。米甸营在他们北边的平原，靠近摩利冈。
2耶和华对基甸说：“跟随你的人过多，我不能将米甸人交在他们手中，免得以色列人向我夸大说：‘是我们自己的手救了我们。’
3现在你要向这些人宣告说：‘凡惧怕胆怯的，可以离开基列山回去。’”于是有二万二千人回去，只剩下一万。
4耶和华对基甸说：“人还是过多。你要带他们下到水旁，我好在那里为你试试他们。我指点谁说：‘这人可以同你去。’他就可以同你去；我指点谁说：‘这人不可同你去。’他就不可同你去。”
5基甸就带他们下到水旁。耶和华对基甸说：“凡用舌头舔水，像狗舔的，要使他单站在一处；凡跪下喝水的，也要使他单站在一处。”
6于是，用手捧着舔水的有三百人，其余的都跪下喝水。
7耶和华对基甸说：“我要用这舔水的三百人拯救你们，将米甸人交在你手中；其余的人，都可以各归各处去。”
8这三百人就带着食物和角；其余的以色列人，基甸都打发他们各归各的帐棚，只留下这三百人。米甸营在他下边的平原里。
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基甸最后选出的300名士兵，除了站立呼喊之外，便几乎没有做过甚么；但神却使他们获胜。
同样地，当我们以为要倚赖甚么才能事奉神的时候，神有时便将它们一一挪开。可能是某个可以倚靠的朋友；可能是某个对我们灵命影响至深的牧者；可能是支持我们成长的教会；可能是我们的工作，甚至是银行存款。
神为何要这样做呢？祂要我们全心全意地倚靠祂，而不是靠赖人或物。诚然，我们需要教会团契，神一再鼓励我们要与信徒彼此相交。然而，当我们太倚赖别人，甚至是其他信徒，神便会带领我们回到祂那里，全心全意地倚靠祂。
基甸那夜做了甚么，以致能取胜呢？他没有做甚么，只是单单将一切交由神掌管处理。神喜欢显明祂的大能，在祂没有难成的事。我们只要持定祂的话语和应许，就可信靠祂去作成大事。
就是基甸吩咐士兵呼喊的那句话，也表明这是耶和华的争战。他吩咐士兵喊叫：「耶和华和基甸的刀。」他承认他们的争战是以神为首，要将当晚所得的一切荣耀归给神。
有信心的人，会抓紧神的应许和信靠神的大能。有信心的人不会畏惧艰难或非信徒的筹算，反之，只会仰望神。
「使我们胜过世界的，就是我们的信心。」（约壹五4）
紧记：神不会因你太渺小，而不使用你；却会因你太伟大，而无法使用你。
LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT
Judges 7:1-8
1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousands of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.”
5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.”
6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.
7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.”
8 So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
Message
Gideon's final three hundred did almost nothing except stand and shout. But God gave them the victory.
Sometimes today God strips us of everything we think we must have to work for him. Or it may be a friend whom we think we can depend on. It may be a pastor who has meant so much in our spiritual lives. It may be a church which has become our support team. It could be employment or even a bank account.
Why does God allow this? His plan, his desire is that we should be wholly dependent on him and not on any human prop. It is quite true that we all need fellowship. God encourages us to practice it. But when we become too dependent on even fellowship, God may move us on. He wants us to finally and totally rely on him.
What did Gideon do to win the victory that night? Very little, except he simply allowed God to control the circumstances. God loves to show what he can do. There is nothing he cannot do. And when we have his word, and his promise, we can trust him to do it.
Even Gideon's shout recognised that the battle was the Lord's. What did he tell the men to shout? 'For the Lord and for Gideon.' He recognised that God came first and gave God the glory for all that took place that night.
Faith lays hold of God's promises and counts on God's power. Faith is not afraid of apparent difficulties nor the calculations of unbelievers. Faith looks to God alone.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith' (1 John 5:4).
YOU CAN BE TOO BIG FOR GOD TO USE, BUT YOU CANNOT BE TOO SMALL.