Text: Judges 7 v 1-8

Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

² And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ ³ Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

⁴ But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” ⁵ So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” ⁶ And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. ⁷ Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” ⁸ So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

Though GOD was with Gideon, physical and spiritual sensitivity on the part of the soldiers was necessary for victory. God has not given us the spirit of fear; the first batch to be dropped were the fearful soldiers. Fear in your life will hinder your effectiveness spiritually, physically, as a leader or as a team member. A fearful soldier will be an ineffective follower and can jeopardise the success of the army.

God reduced the army from 32,000 to 10,000, then to 300 to prove that self sufficiency is an enemy of faith. God does not share His glory so we must know that our sufficiency is of God. Men with the Joshua and Caleb anointing are needed to advance the work of God. These are men and women that will not be deterred by the enormity of a problem but are propelled by faith and trust in the ability of God

When God wanted to reduce the army from 10,000 to 300, the criterion was the manner in which they drank water. Some soldiers were kneeling to drink whilst some scooped water in their hands and lapped. Those who knelt were dropped because; they lost sight of their environment, their focus and vision was cut off as they bent down; as they knelt their guards were down, they were no longer sensitive.

Kneeling to drink water means you are only focused on the water you are about to drink and not concerned about other things around you. Do you allow issues bothering you to overwhelm you that you do not think of the big picture in your life? Do you use your energy and time on the small, irrelevant, controversial issues rather than being spiritual and focused on the big picture of what the Lord is doing in your life?

Those who scooped water in their hands to drink to were only three hundred and they were the chosen ones. As they stood their eyes were vigilant, their posture was battle ready. As a soldier of Christ you must be ready at all times with an attitude prayer, submission to God, reverence His Spirit.

Taking the water in the hand is a sign of carefulness, avoidance of waste and thoughtfulness; As a Christian soldier you weigh your words, actions and associations in the church and the society at large, you should be the one who is ever prayerful and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

A Christian is a soldier in God’s army, sensitivity is needed for you to be effective in your calling or ministry. Let go of unimportant things, and major on positive things. Let go of rumour, gossip, bitterness, complaining and murmuring. Focus on what is important and choose to align your thoughts with GOD always.

Romans 14 v 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

To be spiritually sensitive, you must learn and know the language of the Holy Spirit, know how He talks to you uniquely. Know and understand how to hear GOD.

Galatians 6 v 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

– To bear someone’s burden, you must have the ability to receive the burden.

What blocks our sensitivity – Galatians 5 v 17- 21  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^[a] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders,^[b] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Others are:

Rebellion, Pride, and Antagonism.

Gal 5 v 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

– Walk in the Spirit

Know you are working for God and not for man.

Lift up the hands of the servant of God in prayers.

Check your life and get rid of filthiness, bitterness, envy, anger immediately as these would hinder your walk and your work for GOD.

Do not join evil company and gang up.

Luke 11 v 23  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Luke 11 v 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.

Isaiah 32 v 6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
And his heart will work iniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against the Lord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

A house divided against itself.

Do not use the microphone to say things derogatory to the ministry

Shalom

Busola Jegede