When God Reduces Your Resources | Judges 7:4-8

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Our text today is Judges 7:4–8.

And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. — Judges 7:4-8

You’d think losing 22,000 soldiers was enough. But God isn’t finished. He tells Gideon, “The people are still too many.”

This time, there’s no speech to the crowd — just a strange test at the water’s edge. Soldiers kneel or lap water from their hands. The result? Only 300 make the cut. No explanation about why this method mattered. No insight into the military reasoning. Just God’s choice — and His promise: “With the three hundred men… I will save you.”

Gideon is now down to less than 1% of his original army. From a human perspective, the odds aren’t just bad — they’re impossible. And that’s exactly how God wants it.

When you’re down to your “less than 1%,” it’s not always a sign that God has abandoned you — sometimes it's proof he’s setting the stage for His glory.

Gideon’s reduction wasn’t about military strategy; it was about making sure Israel couldn’t take credit. God will sometimes allow your resources, influence, or opportunities to shrink to a fraction of what you think you need. Why? So the only explanation left is him.

In everyday life, this might look like a budget cut that forces you to depend on his provision, a smaller team that makes you lean harder on his strength, or fewer open doors so that when the right one opens, you know it’s from him.

We resist these reductions because they feel like loss. But in God’s hands, they’re actually preparation. He removes what you think you need so you can discover he’s all you truly need.

ASK THIS:
Where has God been reducing your “army” lately?
How could this loss be positioning you for a greater dependence on Him?
Are you tempted to measure God’s ability by your resources?
What would it look like to trust Him with your “less than 1%”?
DO THIS:
Identify one area in your life where God has reduced your resources. Instead of panicking, thank Him for the opportunity to see His power more clearly.

PRAY THIS:
Lord, when my strength is reduced and my resources run low, help me remember that You are setting the stage for Your power. Teach me to trust You more than what’s in my hands. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
"Way Maker."