I grew up on a small, dairy farm in Western Connecticut and had to help with all the farm work. Not only did I help with milking the cows and caring for them, but I also helped with gardening and bee keeping — I remember one year we extracted about a ton of honey, it was so good. I also remember growing all our own vegetables — in the fall our cellar would be filled with potatoes and winter squash, beets and carrots as well as canning jars filled with corn, string beans and tomatoes all for winter use. There was a lot of work to gardening from preparing the soil to planting, cultivating and harvesting the crops. While many do not like to do all the work involved with gardening, I loved it when I was on the farm and continued gardening through the years.

I also remember that one year under cover of darkness someone went into our field of potatoes and stole several bushels of them, so I can identify with Gideon and his frustration when foreign invaders came and plundered all his crops. Those foreign invaders were too numerous to count yet God calls Gideon who saw himself as the weakest of his clan to drive them out. Somewhat reluctantly Gideon obeys the Lord and with a cunning strategy using torches, pitchers and trumpets wins a great victory. Gideon and his 300 men won decisively because God was with them.

We also are commanded by Jesus to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel. Jesus also warned his disciples that they would suffer persecution as they fulfilled his Great Commission to go into all the world preaching the gospel, but he also assured them and us that he would be with us as we obeyed his command.

We may feel very weak and unable to fulfill his commands, but remember we go in his strength, not ours.

Rev. Bill Monroe

Extended Scripture: Judges 6–8 (ESV)