Not by might (Judges 7-8)

Part of the reason I love the account of Gideon is the ridiculous nature of the situation.  God tells Gideon to fight the Midianites – an army like the locusts in abundance and with innumerable camels.  When Gideon gathers his army together, God tells him that he has too many people.  After a series of dismissals, Gideon is left with 1% of his original fighting force!  This battle has nothing to do with the strength of Gideon and his men, but it has everything to do with God's desire to bring honor to Himself!  At the end of the day, the Israelites could not look back at this battle and think to themselves that it was a "job well done"; they had to attribute it all to the glory of God.  The saddest part of Gideon's story is the way he faltered in the end and Israel whored after his ephod.  It's always disappointing to me when people don't finish strong.  Gideon could have finished strong, but his pride led to his ultimate downfall.  I think the same is true of many Christian leaders today.  How does when rid himself of pride?  By passing credit on to the Lord.