Monday, February 24, 2014

Lost

Submitted by Lara Cook

Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken." Judges 6:36-37

It is never fun to be lost.  It is unnerving and scary.  Signs help to keep us from getting lost.  They give us direction and let us know we are on the right path; we are headed the right direction.  Sometimes discerning the will of God in our lives and making sure we heard Him clearly before we head off in the wrong direction can be much more unnerving and scary than even being lost in the dark, in a strange city. 

Gideon asked God for a sign so he would be sure he had heard God clearly.  He wanted to be sure that the path to battle was indeed the path he was supposed to be on.  He already had the support and following of his people after he had destroyed the altar of Baal.  He even had the support of his father, who was the keeper of the idol.  But this was not enough for Gideon.  He was about to take a small army of three hundred into battle against an enormous army of thousands.  He wanted to be sure he had heard the Lord correctly, and that the Lord would stand on His promise. 

We all have insecurities.  We all suffer from lack of confidence sometimes.  Even the most powerful people you know sometimes suffer from insecurities.  They may hide it well, but they do feel insecure at times.  Gideon was feeling a tad bit insecure at this point.  He spoke to God and basically said God, “If you are really going to do what you say you will do, then prove it by causing dew to pool only on the fleece I am throwing down on the threshing floor.  Make the floor all around the fleece dry.  Then I will believe you.”  Gideon put God to the test and God came through.  He caused the dew to be on the fleece only with completely dry ground all around, and underneath the fleece.  There you go – that should be enough for Gideon to sound the battle cry and lead everyone into battle.  But Gideon still doubted God’s promises were true. 

Again Gideon asked God for another sign.  This time Gideon asked God to let there be dew all over the ground around the fleece but that the fleece itself would remain dry.  Once more God appeased Gideon and did just what he had asked.  The fleece was perfectly dry with dewy wet ground all around it.  So Gideon had his signs from God.  Now he had every reason to be confident and encouraged that God would deliver the enemy into their meager army’s hands. 

God’s words to us should never require outward confirmation.  Gideon’s requests were not acts of faith.  This was not about determining God’s will – God had already told him exactly what to do.  These requests of proof were signs of doubt, fear and lack of confidence.  But lucky for Gideon, and us, that our God is a patient and long suffering God.  He understands our fears and insecurities.  He knows us inside and out and wants us to choose to obey Him.  He waits patiently and sometimes for a long time for us to finally be ready to trust Him with our lives and obey Him in all things. 

Are you putting out the fleece for God? Are you hesitating like Gideon, waiting for some divine signal to motivate you to move on down the road God has set before you?  God wants us to have faith and trust Him even when the enemy army looms enormously ahead of us.  He goes before us. He carries us and brings up the rear as well.  He wants us to take Him at His word, no signs or miracles needed. 

Scripture to Claim:
"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

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