Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
God wanted all the glory for the victory that Gideon was about to win. To keep Gideon from thinking he did something God had to reduce the size of Gideon’s army. The army shrinks from 32,000 men to only 300. Those 300 will then have to fight in a very unconventional manner. All happens to make sure that Gideon and the people know that God was doing the work.
Do you ever wonder why God allows or even causes so many setbacks in your life and ministry? It may seem that God is reducing you and yours instead of helping you. We question, why is it when things look like they are going good that God would allow this to happen.
The answer may well be that God knows you might begin to think highly of yourself and not of Him. He knows that you might say you did something that He had to do for you. God wants it clear that He is doing the work. God has no desire to share His glory with us.