Shrinking Numbers.
For business owners, shrinking numbers are often scary. Especially when they’re shrinking numbers of sales, profit, staff or perhaps number of clients.
In Judges 7, the passion translation bible gives this passage of scripture the heading ‘Gideon’s shrinking army’
This story has spoken to me a lot lately as our business has been experiencing shrinking numbers. The effects of covid lockdowns and close contact rulings have meant sales are much less than they should be and year to date profit is showing large numbers in the red. Not what any business owner likes to face.
However, the story of Judges 7 shows us that sometimes our times of shrinking is part of God’s divine plan and our pathway to victory. Definitely not the most comfortable position, but one that is exactly where God wants us.
In this chapter, God kept saying to Gideon you have too many in your army. Gideon originally had 32,000 and then it was culled to 20,000 and then it was culled again to leave 300 (the number 300 represents the glory of God) The whole reason God wanted Gideon to reduce his army was found in Judges 7:2 “Yahweh spoke to Gideon, You have too many in your army. If I give them victory over the Midianites, they might claim credit for themselves at my expense, thinking that they had won the victory on their own”
Yes, our seasons of shrinking can be frustrating, discouraging and a source of fear and worry, but it’s in these places of total reliance on God that we see His mighty hand at work. It’s these situations where what is impossible for man, is made possible with God. All glory goes to God, not anyone or anything else. And by no means can we take any credit for ourselves. It is a total miracle! Gideon’s army of 300 defeated an army of 135,000. Plus, they didn’t have swords or weapons to fight. Instead, they were instructed to go with a SHOFAR and a CLAY JAR WITH A TORCH inside. God’s weapons of choice for them (which seem ridiculous to a natural battle) were
1. A trumpet like SHOFAR which represents ‘proclaiming the word of God’ which is our prophetic message of POWER and GRACE to conquer.
2. A CLAY JAR with a burning torch inside which represents us as clay vessels (in the potters hand) broken open before God so he can display his burning torch light inside us for the world to see.
When we are facing immense challenges in our life, in our families, in our business, our weapons of warfare are not control, clever strategies, hard work and determination. Our weapons are declaring God’s promises and staying soft and open before Him so His light shines through us. He will get the glory not us!
Sometimes in seasons where we feel we have exhausted all our options, we are going backwards not forward and everything around us is shrinking, it is a season of refinement and realignment to purify some attitudes and mindsets. Perhaps we have fallen into the trap of believing we can achieve things in our own strength. Or maybe there are areas in our heart that still don’t yet FULLY TRUST GOD. There’s nothing like shrinking numbers for a business owner, to truly test whether we trust Him and His promises for our life.
I pray that if you too have been experiencing some shrinking numbers in your business, you will see God’s faithfulness as he leads you into victory. What God refines in your heart during this season, is preparing you for what He’s going to entrust to you in the next.
Get ready.
