Peeling the Layers

Based on Judges 7-8, Luke 5:1-16

"And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand."
Judges 7:2‭-‬3.

Gideon and his army were preparing for a fight against the Midianites, but there was one problem: they had a lot of soldiers! This actually seems like it would have been a good thing, right? More soldiers, more chance to win! Instead, God had a lesson in this even greater than the victory against the Midianites: God wanted to show Gideon & Israel that it was Him they should fasten their eyes upon! Once we start numbering & calculating the magnitude of the task before us, we develop different layers which hinder us from moving forward: intimidation, fear, weakness, loss of drive...so God had to peel back the layers of the army to show that He was at the heart of it all, and He alone would cause the victory through Gideon & his army, no matter how small!

We sometimes have to peel back the layers of our hearts too. There are things we get wrapped up in which really stop us from accomplishing things. We need to let God circumcise our hearts, allowing there to be a release into the deeper things of God!

"And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go."
Judges 7:4.

...And sometimes, God just keeps peeling! He peels away our doubt, unbelief, you name it! All of those things become an army of too many soldiers in our lives, like Gideon...then we end up fighting those things off instead of fighting the real battle before us! All those fears & worries are just distractions from the goals God has planned for us!

"Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake." Luke 5:4‭-‬6.

Simon Peter had a layer of doubt-instead of facing too many enemy soldiers like Gideon, he faced nothingness...the situation seemed like a lost cause. But then, after an act of faith & obedience to Jesus' command, there was a great multitude of fish!!

As God peels back the layers of our lives, those thick pieces of doubt we've developed over time, something WILL come out of the nothingness! We WILL be able to face a giant task! And it's not because we become invincible...it's because we serve the only eternal, powerful God Who makes all things possible! Let the layers go in Jesus' Name!