Judges 6:33-40
Today's Passage: Judges 6:33-40
We all know this proverbial saying about putting out the fleece. In all transparency, we’ve all probably done it at some point in our lives. “God, if you’ll just…then I will…” is the basis of the statement. We want that “writing on the wall” or whatever form of guarantee that God will do what He says or what we ask.
HOWEVER, is this the best idea? Is asking God to prove Himself (2x!) a healthy biblical methodology? Allow me to play devil’s advocate in this story for the purpose of doing a heart check if this is a go-to method for us.
What if laying out the fleece was a sign of distrust on Gideon’s part?
Look more closely at verse 36: “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said…”.
God already told Gideon this is what He was going to do, so why the double questioning here? Does it really indicate trust and faith when:
Do we see the problematic side to this approach? It doesn’t exactly exude confidence in the person and truthfulness of God when we ask for multiple proofs. This isn’t to say we don’t waver at all in faith, but the continued questioning of God’s word might reveal a flaw in Gideon’s understanding of the character of God.
Thankfully, God answered Gideon’s requests each time and there isn’t any recorded chastising of Gideon for his lack of trust. God is so gentle, kind, and compassionate toward us, even in our unbelief! STILL, this doesn’t serve God’s character well if we live in a constant state of needing sight before making moves.
Have you been found guilty of this? Have you been prompted by God to move forward in faith in some way but have found yourself instead standing still asking God for dew? You’re certainly not alone if so, but the more Christlike response to faith is saying “yes” no matter if more proof is given. This is what makes faith, faith! Hope for the unseen.
Today, consider your confidence in God. I know there are times when we are unsure if God actually said it or if it is just our own heart giving false assurance. Yet, when we know the Spirit is leading (as was the case for Gideon), let’s boldly step forward and trust that God will provide and lay the fleece aside.
If we have His word, we don’t need the wool.
Written By: Drew Dukes
We all know this proverbial saying about putting out the fleece. In all transparency, we’ve all probably done it at some point in our lives. “God, if you’ll just…then I will…” is the basis of the statement. We want that “writing on the wall” or whatever form of guarantee that God will do what He says or what we ask.
HOWEVER, is this the best idea? Is asking God to prove Himself (2x!) a healthy biblical methodology? Allow me to play devil’s advocate in this story for the purpose of doing a heart check if this is a go-to method for us.
What if laying out the fleece was a sign of distrust on Gideon’s part?
Look more closely at verse 36: “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said…”.
God already told Gideon this is what He was going to do, so why the double questioning here? Does it really indicate trust and faith when:
• God said it but Gideon asked for more proof?
• God answered the first request even though He already said He would do it?
• Gideon asked for a 3rd proof?
Do we see the problematic side to this approach? It doesn’t exactly exude confidence in the person and truthfulness of God when we ask for multiple proofs. This isn’t to say we don’t waver at all in faith, but the continued questioning of God’s word might reveal a flaw in Gideon’s understanding of the character of God.
Thankfully, God answered Gideon’s requests each time and there isn’t any recorded chastising of Gideon for his lack of trust. God is so gentle, kind, and compassionate toward us, even in our unbelief! STILL, this doesn’t serve God’s character well if we live in a constant state of needing sight before making moves.
Have you been found guilty of this? Have you been prompted by God to move forward in faith in some way but have found yourself instead standing still asking God for dew? You’re certainly not alone if so, but the more Christlike response to faith is saying “yes” no matter if more proof is given. This is what makes faith, faith! Hope for the unseen.
Today, consider your confidence in God. I know there are times when we are unsure if God actually said it or if it is just our own heart giving false assurance. Yet, when we know the Spirit is leading (as was the case for Gideon), let’s boldly step forward and trust that God will provide and lay the fleece aside.
If we have His word, we don’t need the wool.
Written By: Drew Dukes
1 Comment
Timely reminder for me as I'm going through situations, little and big, to just keep trusting God and His word. Thanks, Drew.