God's Process for Choosing People for Greater Things
Throughout Scripture, we see that God has a specific process for choosing people for greater things. Not everyone touches the greater things of God, though we all have the potential. The story of Gideon reveals this divine process and shows us how God prepares His people to become weapons in His hands.
When God's People Cry Out
In Gideon's time, God's people were oppressed. Their harvests were stolen, and despite their efforts, they couldn't make progress. The enemy was systematically oppressing them until they became desperate enough to cry out to God.
When they finally cried out, God sent a prophet with a clear message: "All this is happening because you haven't listened to my word." This reveals a fundamental truth - it's essential to listen to what God says and be able to hear His voice if we want to move into greater things.
Knowing Who You Are in Christ
When the angel appeared to Gideon hiding in a winepress, he declared, "The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor." This wasn't based on what Gideon was doing - he was hiding in fear. It was based on who God saw him to be.
You have to know who you are in Christ if you're going to touch greater things. Without this knowledge, the enemy has a field day with us. Defeat isn't our inheritance. Too many people worship Jesus yet live defeated lives - these two realities cannot coexist.
What Are the Requirements for Greater Things?
No Idols Allowed
God's first instruction to Gideon was to tear down his father's idols. You cannot have greater things in God if you have idols. In New Testament terms, idolatry is simply greed - greed for food, money, position, or power.
An idol is anything that makes us say no to Jesus or that we put before Him. These must be removed before God can trust us with greater things.
You Must Be Willing to Fight
Some people didn't like Gideon tearing down the idols, leading to contention. This reveals another requirement: you cannot have greater things without contending with the enemy. There is a battle taking place, and you cannot dodge the fight.
If you're not in the fight, you're a victim. It's better to be in the fight because it's "the good fight of faith" - the one you win. But you can't win until you fight.
Warriors Must Fight Spiritually
Natural warfare doesn't work. Intellectual warfare doesn't work. Only Holy Spirit warfare is designed to work. We are enforcers for the kingdom of Heaven, not trying to win a victory but enforcing the victory Jesus already won.
We have the victory of the cross, the victory of the blood, and the victory of the empty tomb. We have a resurrected Savior who is alive and has all authority and power.
How Should We Pray for Souls?
There's no point in simply praying "Lord, please save souls" year after year without seeing results. God has already declared that He would have all men be saved. Jesus is already interceding for souls to be saved.
Instead, we should pray with authority - binding the spirits that blind eyes, block ears, torment minds, and hinder people from receiving salvation. We take authority and declare the victory of the cross over those who aren't saved.
However, prayer without evangelism is an arrow going nowhere. We must position ourselves to be part of God's answer by actively looking for divine appointments and being ready to share the simple gospel when God provides opportunities.
God's Refining Process
Gideon started with 32,000 men, but God refined his army. First, everyone with fear had to go home - 22,000 people left. Under the Old Covenant, fear disqualified people because there was no power to deal with it. But in the New Covenant, Jesus has defeated fear, and we can live free from fear all our days.
Then God tested the remaining 10,000 at the river. Those who drank watchfully stayed; those who didn't had to leave. Only 300 remained. This teaches us about drinking watchfully - being careful about what we consume, especially when we're tired or relaxed.
The enemy prowls around watering holes looking for the unwatchful and careless. We must be discerning about social media, entertainment, and other influences that can affect our minds and hearts.
What Is God's Barley Loaf?
The 300 men who remained were likened to a barley loaf tumbling into the enemy camp and destroying it. They had passed God's refining test and became a weapon in the Lord's hands for great victory and breakthrough.
A barley loaf represents a core of people in a church who:
- Know how to follow leadership
- Have been baked together through fires of criticism
- Stand firm for breakthroughs for others and themselves
- Support the vision and work of their local church
- Submit to God's refining process
The Power of Unity and Order
One of the biggest hindrances to building God's barley loaf is people with independent spirits who want to do their own thing without submitting to pastoral leadership. According to John 10:1, anyone who tries to minister to the flock without going through the gate of pastoral leadership becomes a thief and robber.
God has an order in His kingdom, and He only works through His order. There's no anointing on something that goes out of God's order.
From Church to Movement
When God gets a core of people - a barley loaf - He releases them not just within the building but outside into the local community as His purifying weapon. Teachers, nurses, builders, office workers, parents, and others carry this purifying, authoritative power wherever they go.
Most of the signs and wonders in Jesus' ministry didn't happen in the synagogue - they happened in the streets. When believers carry this anointing into their daily lives, they begin seeing people set free, saved, and healed outside the church walls.
This transforms a church from just being a place people go to becoming a movement - something they are 24/7 wherever they go.
Learning from David's Mighty Men
King David also had a core - 400 misfits, debtors, and outcasts who came to him in Adullam's cave. But David had the anointing of a giant slayer, and these 400 inherited that same anointing. They became giant killers like David.
We are called to be giant killers today - slaying giants of sickness, disease, poverty, and other obstacles. The mighty men around David had one purpose: to make David king. Our common purpose today is to unite as a barley loaf to see heaven on earth and Jesus glorified.
The Importance of Finishing Well
While Gideon started well, he didn't finish well. It's important to start well, but even more important to finish well. The goal should be to hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant" when we reach heaven.
Life Application
God is building a barley loaf - a core of people who will submit to His refining process and become weapons in His hands. This week, examine your life for any idols that might be hindering your spiritual growth. Are there areas where you put other things before Jesus?
Also, consider how you can be part of God's barley loaf in your local church. Are you willing to submit to godly leadership, stand firm through difficulties, and carry God's anointing into your daily life?
Ask yourself these questions:
- What idols might I need to remove from my life?
- Am I willing to fight spiritually rather than live as a victim?
- How can I drink more watchfully in my entertainment and social media consumption?
- Am I positioning myself to be part of God's answer through both prayer and action?
- What would it look like for me to carry God's anointing into my workplace, school, or community this week?