-- Saturday, 7/31/10 -- MORE FLEECE -- Judges 6:39-40
J.R. & Bonnie Ricks
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MORE FLEECE -- Judges 6:39-40 NIV
Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
Gideon was obviously a practical man, not to mention a man lacking in faith. Even though his fleece had been wetter than any fleece had ever been from the morning dew, Gideon decided that he might have set himself up for failure. His logic said that fleece takes longer to dry than the ground around it, so, just possibly, he had only been witness to a natural occurrence. And Gideon – not one to get in a big hurry – wanted to be absolutely sure that He was doing what God wanted him to do. So he asked for confirmation. He asked that, this time, the fleece be dry and the ground around it be wet, just to confirm that he was headed in the right direction. And the next morning, the fleece was dry as a bone, and the ground around it was wet!
Even though Gideon's faith was weak… even though God had already given him more than enough confirmation… even though Gideon just needed "one more sign"… God had patience with him and gave him the sign he asked for.
Many times the Lord wants us to step out on faith, giving us our confirmation of His will after we have acted. Look at Moses. When God told him to go to Egypt and lead the people out, God said Moses would receive his sign after they were safely out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:12 NIV) And the priests of Israel were told to step into the rushing waters of the Jordan before God stopped the water. (Joshua 3:13 NIV) But sometimes – because of our lack of faith (like Gideon) – or because He wants to make sure we head in the right direction - God gives us confirmation beforehand. He speaks to us through His word, through other people, through circumstances. He wants us to stay within His will. He wants us to act according to His Word. He will guide us – sometimes beforehand and sometimes after. But always, He will guide us.
"So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:17 NIV
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