Plan Your Ministry 1

Judges 7:2-6

I used to watch the painter Bob Ross on Saturday morning television. He was one of those who taught painting and could finish a picture within thirty minutes. It always fascinated me how a painting could emerge from the mess that he started with. The first half of the show usually involved colors and shapes that made no sense to me but eventually evolved into something nice. It became evident that the work which at first seemed random was actually following a plan.

If we will place ourselves where God can use us, pray that God will help us, and picture what God wants, then we must plan out what we will do to make our ministry a reality. God gave Gideon a plan when he was facing the Midianites.

What was the problem? What was God’s solution? Why did God want fewer men?

As an armchair general, someone who enjoys examining military tactics and historical battles, this story has always set my teeth on edge. When facing an opponent in combat a leader wants as many soldiers under his control as possible. Yet God had a different plan for Gideon.

If you finish the story of Gideon and the Midianites (Judges 7:17-21) you will see that only three-hundred men were needed to fulfill God’s plan. Rather than confront the enemy in battle the Israelites under Gideon used psychology, tricking the enemy into believing they were outnumbered and surrounded.

The battle was a success because Gideon followed the plan that God gave him. God outlined what needed to be done and Gideon, rather than rush into battle without thought, obeyed God and followed the plan.

Our ministry ideas and desires may at first appear to be haphazard and messy. To achieve success we will need to plan our ministry, and yet also avoid the pitfall of becoming mired in so much planning that we are bogged down in indecision and fear.

As we face the challenges of ministry and of doing the work of God we will need to rely on God’s guidance. But we will also need to take some time and decide the best way to go about that ministry. Successful ministry follows well-planned organization.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you develop a plan for ministry?

Gideons 5

Judges 7:16-21

We are called on to trust in God and trust that the Lord will provide for our needs. We are called on to offer what we can and have the faith that God can do great things with our gifts. But that does not mean we can sit back and do nothing while God takes over.

Gideon’s story ends at Judges 8:32, but the climax of the tale of Gideon and the Midianites occurs here. What plan did Gideon have? What “weapons” did his soldiers carry? What was the result?

Although the battle was won by God and not by the number of soldiers Gideon brought to battle, there was a bit of clever strategy on Gideon’s part. He set his soldiers so that they surrounded most of their enemy, and his attack was set for the middle of the night during a time of confusion.

While the Midian guard was being changed the three-hundred men under Gideon blew trumpets and broke jars exposing burning torches. The sudden appearance of 300 torches, the sound of the trumpets, and the shouts – “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon” – would be perceived by the Midians as an attack of 300 companies of soldiers, or 30,000 men.

Assuming that 30,000 men were surrounding their sleeping and unprepared army, the Midianites panicked and fled. The battle was over and the only weapons used were trumpets and torches.

We can trust in God, but like Gideon we also must be clever and creative with our gifts and our skills. We must be wise in our approaches to serving God and performing our ministries. Working together with the Lord, applying our skills and God’s power, we can do much for the kingdom of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there a place in your ministry that requires creativity?

Gideons 4

Judges 7:4-7

One of the things that really impresses me about the Gideons is that all of your contributions go toward purchasing Bibles for distribution. The costs of travel, meetings, publicity, and even their banquets are all paid for by the members themselves. It is required of the members that they be self-sustaining, allowing donations to be much more effective.

Although Gideon sent home about two-thirds of his fighting force, God was still not satisfied with the numbers. What does God instruct? Which soldiers did God choose?

Some people have explained that God chose the soldiers who lapped with their mouths like a dog because it was a demonstration of their ability as soldiers. By lapping, these folks claim, the soldier was more able to detect if an enemy was approaching. I must confess that explanation doesn’t work for me; in fact, the opposite seems true to me.

Regardless of the reasoning behind it, God told Gideon to send home 9,700 of the remaining 10,000, leaving him with 300 men. Gideon was left with less than one percent of his original force. If Gideon is to have a victory with this force, then it must be very clear that God is responsible.

Like Gideon and like the Gideons International, being willing to do things in an unconventional way causes you to trust God. Gideon sent home most of his force. Yet, he trusted God. The Gideons must trust that they have sufficient funds to run their organization. They don’t dip into the contributions that are made.

We need to take a lesson from both of these. Rather than fret and worry that we have insufficient ability or time, rather than claim we don’t have enough money to make a difference for God, let us all begin trusting what little we have to the Lord. He will make good come from our offering, no matter how small we think it is.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Where do you need to trust God more?

Gideons 3

Judges 7:1-3

The Gideons not only put Bibles in hotels, they strive to put a copy of the Bible, or at least the New Testament, in the hands of people all around the world. The Gideons can take your small donation and use it to pay for the printing of many Bibles which are then handed out free. Their dedication and work in reaching the whole world with the good news of Jesus is incredible.

As the story of Gideon in the Bible progresses we see Gideon amassing an army of 32,000 men to fight the Midianites. What does God declare? Why does He decide this? What does Gideon do?

One of the basic rules of military strategy is “Never underestimate your enemy.” It is wise not to go against an opponent with complete confidence that you will win. A little fear can be a good thing. It is best to be prepared for any eventuality.

With that in mind, what Gideon does seems completely counter-productive. Why in the world would a military commander send two-thirds of his fighting force home?

God claimed that the army was too big. Victory, apparently, would be too easy and then the Israelites might begin to think that hey won the battle on their own. To guarantee that they knew God had given them the battle God had Gideon send most of his army home.

When we look at ministry and outreach we can think that what we are putting into the effort is what makes it work. We can also have the opposite attitude, that no matter what we do we can’t accomplish anything. We may ask how our contribution of few dollars can make a difference.

We need to be like Gideon. We need to trust that our small donation can be used by God to make a huge difference in the world. We need to remember that it is not us who gets the ministry work done; it is the power of God working through us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Where do you need to trust the power of God in your life?