We face with choices and decisions everyday in our life. From dawn till dusk, the time you wake up you are face with a decision, whether would you get out of bed or off the alarm and drift back off to Dreamland. Decisions cross our path every single minute. You decide whether you would put on a smile today and you have the decision whether you want your day to be a happy day or a sad day.

The decisions we make today will shape tomorrow’s pathway. What we decide to do or not to do will cause us to mould our future. Funny how God gave us discernment for each decision yet to be made but He gave us freewill to have the final say.
When we look through the Bible we see decisions after decisions. Eve had the decision whether to eat the fruit, Cain had the decision whether to kill Abel, Noah had the decision whether to listen to God and build the ark, Abraham had the decision whether to sacrifice Isaac, Moses had the decision whether to lead the Israelites, Paul had the decision whether to travel from places to places spreading the Gospel, everyone faced decision. One cannot live a day saying he has not made any decision.

Israel did evil in the eyes of God and the result was a seven year oppression by the Midianites, Amalekites and other invading forces. They had to retreat to the caves and mountain clefts for shelter while foreigners invaded the land that was rightfully theirs. God caused a leader to rise up among them.
Gideon from the clan of Abiezrites was called by God. The angel of the Lord appeared to him to tell him that God has appointed him to save Israel. Here Gideon faced his first decision leading to the Israelites repossession of the land. Gideon had to decide whether to take up the call or not. He did.
The next day, Gideon and his men camped at Herod. There were 32,000 men altogether. God told Gideon that the number was too large and told him to announce, “Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave.”
Like us, Gideon would have been really puzzled over God’s command. Their enemies numbered to swarms of locusts and camels as uncountable as sand! To compare Gideon’s army to the enemy is like comparing an ant to an elephant.
Gideon decided.
He called out to the people and told them what God told him to say. 22,000 men left, only 10,000 remained.

Again God said to Gideon that the number was too large. And gave commands to Gideon to bring them down to the water and observe how the drink the water. 300 men lapped the water with their hands, assuming a position of readiness in case their enemies appear any moment. 9,700 men got down on their knees and drank from the river like ostrich putting their head into the sand. God told Gideon to send the 9,700 men back. Gideon was faced with another decision.
Gideon decided.
That day, God cut down the Israelites army fro, 32,000 to 300 men. God reduced the number by 99.0625 percent. So that means only 0.9375 percent out of 32,000 were chosen. 300 men weren’t even 1% out of 32,000 men!!! Ouch!
What a stupid decision Gideon must have done – so the Israelites thought.

That night Gideon was afraid to face the enemy the next day. So God sent Gideon down into the enemy’s land unnoticed. Gideon overheard a man telling his friend of a dream. In that dream, he saw a round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the camp with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed. His friend responded saying, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”
Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation. He must then be wondering whether it was true. Maybe after much deciding and contemplating, he went back to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”

That night, Gideon and his army of a mere 300 men defeated the uncountable armies of the Midianites – all done by God’s power.
Gideon had to first choose to decide, only then can God come into action.

(Full account of Gideon’s conquest is found in Judges Chapter 6 and 7)

I have to make tough decisions. I have decided. Whether I rejoice over the decision made or cry over it I do not know yet. But I choose to decide. Sometimes decisions that are yet to be made may seem really stupid and out-of-this-world, but we must choose to decide right nonetheless. Gideon decided to submit to God’s “foolishness” and the result was an unforeseen victory.

Joshua 24:15
...choose for yourselves this day...

The decisions we make today,
will shape tomorrow’s pathway.
Zlwin Chew