Judges 7 is a strange story.

Gideon has 32,000 men ready to take on the evil Midianites. But the Lord has other plans.

The Lord reduces Gideon's army to only 300 men - a reduction of over 99% of his army!

Talk about military cuts and sequestration!

But Gideon is obedient and goes to battle with only 300 men and without weapons. Yes, without weapons. Instead of swords and shields, Gideon leads his men to the perimeter of the valley where the Midianite men are camped.

Then, in the darkness, they blow their ram's horns, smash their jars, lift their torches, and let out a battle cry across the valley. In the darkness, the Midianites are fooled into thinking they are under attack and they mistakenly begin to kill other Midianites in their camp.

Clearly, the Lord gave Gideon the victory in this battle - a victory they won without any weapons. The weakness of Israel in battle was their strength because they relied on the Lord.

Similarly, we read in 2 Corinthians that the power of God is made known in weakness.

The Apostle Paul writes that God's power is made perfect in his personal weakness. Consequently, Paul writes, "I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me...For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Paul's personal weakness was a demonstration of God's power because Paul relied on the Lord not on himself.

This is a countercultural truth. Our culture emphasizes efficiency, effectiveness, success, and achievement. Boasting of failures and weakness is not what you're supposed to do in 2016.

But perhaps it is where you are weak that God will demonstrate his power and strength to others.

Perhaps it is where you are weak that God will demonstrate his power and strength to you.

That's how God worked with Gideon. That's how God worked with Paul. That's how God works with you.