January 13

January 13.

"Whoever is fearful and trembling-let him return!" Judges 7:3

Through God wanted only a few men-he wanted the best. So the first thing was to weed out the incompetent. The army would be stronger with all these sent home-rather than with them all straggling along. There were twenty thousand cowards; and the ten thousand brave men would be stronger alone than the thirty thousand, having the timid thousands among them.

Timidity is infectious. Many a church would be stronger if it were weeded out-just as Gideon’s army was. Its weakness lies in its great numbers, not because numbers necessarily weaken-but because there are so many half-hearted people on the church roll. They have lost their interest, if they ever had any, and are indifferent, without thorough consecration. They add no strength-but only hinder the other members and dampen their zeal.