OUR DAILY BREAD : EMPTY FORT STRATEGY

[cimi]

February 24
Monday

READ:
Judges 7:2-8
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Biehold, I am the LORD,
the God of all flesh.
is there anything too
hard for Me?
__Jeremiah 32:27
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In the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, author Luo Guanzhong describes the "Empty Fort Strategy," a use of reverse psychology to deceive the enemy. When 150,000 troops from the Wei Kingdom reached Xicheng, which had less than 2,5000 soldiers, they found the city gate wide open and the famous military tactician Zhuge Liang calmly playing the zither with two children beside him. The Wei general, baffled by the scene and believing it was an ambush, ordered a full retreat.

The Bible offers another example of a bewildering battle strategy. In Judges 7, God had Gideon use 300 men, horns, jars, and blazing torches against armies that were 'as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number" (v.12).

Could Israel defeat such a formidable foe? It was humanly impossible! They had neither the manpower nor the military hardware. But they had one thing that worked for them and that was all they needed. They had God's promise: "With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory" (v.7) NLT). The result? Victory!

Are you facing a formidable challenge? The Lord has said, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? (Jer. 32:27). __Poh Fang Chia

``````````````````````````Be strong in the Lord and be of good courage;````````````````````````
````````````````````````````Your mighty Defender is always the same.`````````````````````````
`````````````````````````Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending;````````````````````````
```````````````````````Victory is sure when you call on His name. __Johnson```````````````````
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**************************************Today's Bible Reading __ Judges 7:2-8************************************

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.