When talking about strength it means to be tough, showing power to resist or to endure. Relying on God’s strength biblically means to rely on divine power rather than human ability.

Our strength is limited physically and mentally. I can no longer do many things that I was able to do when I was much younger. Also, the older I get the more limits there are. That is life. God’s strength is limitless. There is nothing too hard, nothing impossible, nor does Yahweh get tired and weary. There is no limit to His strength. God’s strength helps us to navigate through life’s challenges and difficulties that we face.

Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

I want to emphasize the word “present.” Yahweh is with us always. When we need His help and we need His strength He is presently there with us. We are not alone through life’s difficulties. When we are weak, He is strong! I would like to share about an amazing valiant warrior named Gideon.

Judges 6:1-10. Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them. So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD. Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian, that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, it was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them from before you and gave you their land, and I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me.”

It is remarkable how many times Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. And they surely suffered the consequences of their actions. So, they cried to God to deliver them, and God sends a prophet to remind them of the deliverance He gave them concerning Egypt. And now, an angel of the LORD is going to approach Gideon.

Judges 6:11-13. Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

My goodness, that is what I have said at times in my life. I get overwhelmed and start thinking very foolish things about my Father. Even though I have seen so much deliverance, I still have the weakness that causes me to think foolishly. Even in my bible I have marked next to this verse, ‘sounds like me at times!’ But look at what the angel of the LORD calls Gideon, ‘O valiant warrior!’ What encouragement!

Judges 6:14-16. The LORD looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” But the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

Gideon says ‘how can I do such a thing?’ He gives his reasons. He is not sure about this at all. Then he asks for help, a sign, to be sure that this is really from the LORD. He needs help to be sure and convinced that this is true.

Judges 6:17-23. So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.” Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” The LORD said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”

After these things happen to Gideon, the altar of Baal is destroyed, then all the Midianites, and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves and crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. Then Gideon does as the LORD instructed him, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him and sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. (Judges 6:28-35).

Gideon again asks God to give him a sign that He will deliver Israel through him. God so lovingly does give him a sign with a fleece. (Judges 6:37-40).

Chapter 7 is the pivotal time that God delivers Israel by His strength and power and shows clearly to Gideon and the people that He alone will deliver!

Judges 7:1-3. Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the of Moreh in the valley. The LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’ “Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’ ” So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.

By the time they get to verse 7, there remains 300 men. Gideon breaks up the men into three groups of 100 each and they do as they are instructed with trumpets and pitchers.

Judges 7:19-23. So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled. When they blew 300 trumpets, the LORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. The men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

What an amazing record! As it continues, the armies of the Midianites, Amalekites and the sons of the east were defeated. And it started with just 300 men! That is God’s amazing power and strength! Yahweh showed them His mighty power so they wouldn’t boast and think they did this amazing feat by their own limited power!

Judges 8:22-23. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon said to them. “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”

WOW! What a great and valiant warrior Gideon was and knew that Yahweh rules. Gideon remembered that it was God’s great power and strength that delivered them. Also, that had to be a tremendous temptation to rule over so many people. What a great God-fearing man he was.

Who rules over you? Do you rely on God’s strength or your own? God’s power is limitless. We are so limited and weak. We, as His children, must trust and lock our minds into His mighty strength and power.

Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 68:35. O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!

Habakkuk 3:19. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.

Psalm 118:14. The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

Recently, I was talking with my daughter-in-law Sarah about this subject of Gideon and about God’s strength and power. She said “God, our Father doesn’t take away the mental pressures, or the challenges that we face, but He does give us the strength to walk through them.” That is so very true. We are never alone. We have God’s spirit within us and we need to be strong and walk in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10).

Are you like Gideon? He knew God rules over him. Or, do you rely upon yourself way too often? Remember, we are weak, but He is strong. There is nothing too hard for the Almighty God our Father. We have a Father who loves us, cares for us, and never gets tired or weary. Rely on His mighty strength. Pray to Yahweh for help and strength to get through each and every day. I would like to end with these questions; ‘who rules over you? Whose strength do you rely upon?’