In Touch Devotional 8th October 2024, By Charles Stanley, Tuesday Message
TOPIC: When the Odds Are Against You
SCRIPTURE: Judges 7:1-8
Have you ever felt backed into a corner, with the odds stacked against you? In situations like that, Christians often fail to acknowledge an important truth: that God may actually be orchestrating their challenging circumstances (Romans 8:28).
You may think, No way. God protects me from such things. But maybe, just maybe, God is trying to tell you something—and He first needs to get your attention.
Time and again in Scripture, we see that God uses difficulties to build faith. It’s easy to trust Him when things go our way. However, He often removes comforts and false securities from our life to remind us that He alone is the source of our strength.
Consider today’s passage. Gideon was ready to lead an army of 32,000 men into battle. However, God stepped into the situation two different times, whittling the Israelite army down to less than one percent of its original size. We may have replied, “What? It’s impossible to defeat enemy forces with just 300 men!” That’s probably true; 300 men alone couldn’t do it. But the Lord can—which is the lesson Gideon learned firsthand.
When the odds aren’t in your favor, don’t think that God has abandoned you. Stand your ground and stay focused on Him. You’ll be amazed at what your heavenly Father will achieve.
Bible in One Year: Matthew 16-18
Dr. Charles Stanley, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.