Joshua around Jericho and by Gideon's little band about the host of men was made effectual through the power of God to overthrow the might of his enemies the most complete system that men have ever devised apart from the power and wisdom of God will prove a Failure while the most unpromising methods will succeed when divinely appointed and entered upon with humility and faith Trust in God and obedience to his will are as essential to the Christian in the spiritual warfare as to Gideon and Joshua in their battles with the Canaanites by the repeated manifestations of his power and behalf of Israel God would lead them to have faith in him with confidence to seek his help and every emergency He is just as willing to work with the efforts of his people now and to accomplish great things through weak Instrumentalities all heaven awaits our demand upon its wisdom and strength God is Able to do exceedingly abundant abundantly above all that we ask or think Ephesians 320 Signs of the times June 21st 1881 it is not safe for God's people to adopt the maxims and Customs of the ungodly the divine principles and modes of working are widely different for from those of the world The history of nations present no such victories as the conquest of Jericho over the overthrow of the Midianites No general of heathen armies has had ever conducted warfare as Joshua and Gideon had done These victories teach the great lesson that the only sure ground of success is the help of God Working with human effort those who trust to their own wisdom and their own skill will surely be disappointed The only safe course and all the plans and purposes of life is to preserve the simplicity of faith humble trust in God and faithful obedience to his will Are as essential to the Christian in waging spiritual warfare as they were to Gideon and his brave Associates in fighting the battles of the Lord Simplicity of faith humble trust Seventh-day Adventist Bible commentary volume 2 page 1004 it is a dangerous thing for men to resist the spirit of truth and grace and Righteousness because its manifestations are not according to their ideas and have not come into line with their methodical plans The Lord works in his own ways and according to his own devising Let every man pray that they may be divested of self and may be in harmony with heaven Let them pray not my will but thine O God be done Let men bear in mind that God's way are not their ways nor his thoughts their thoughts for he says as the heavens are higher than The earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts In the instruction that the Lord gave Gideon when he was about to fight with the Midianites That he should go again go out against his foes with an army of 300 Blowing trumpets and carry empty pitchers in their hand shouting the sword of the Lord and Gideon these precise methodical