“Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” (JJudges 6:36)
I read recently about someone who was trying to make a decision, and they decided to ask to Lord to provide them with direction by “putting out a fleece” to ask for specific signs to help determine what to do. I’m sure many of you have heard this phrase before. I’m certain many of us have done the same thing in the past, so I decided to see what that phrase really means, as I’ve used it in the past without thinking it through. It’s based on the above passage in Judges.
And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. As we read further in Judges we see Gideon then said to God:
“Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.”
When you read the rest of the passage, it sure seems that Gideon already had been told by God what He would do, yet he continued to ask for signs. His faith seems weak, yet I don’t know how to reconcile that with the fact that in Hebrews 11 Gideon is listed as one of the heroes of faith! But Gideon was also living in a time much different than ours. We have the complete word of God, as well as the Holy Spirit, so we have more today to help guide us than he had. So was he acting reasonably or out of fear? All I know is that God was incredibly gracious and patient with him because his faith was weak, going the extra mile to give him the confirmation he was asking for.
Sometimes I think it depends on what we are asking God to provide as a sign!! There is a difference in asking God to speak to us, giving Him our requests and asking for direction, as opposed to prayers like this: “Lord, I’m not sure whether or not you want me to apologize to my neighbor for losing my temper and calling him a jerk and an embarrassment to the whole street. I need to know what you want me to do. I don’t feel led to apologize. But if you really want me to, please make the 3rd car that passes here be a Porsche 987 S . . . yellow . . . with the top down . . . and the driver wearing purple sunglasses and a cowboy hat . . . followed by a hailstorm . . . and a solar eclipse . . .” See, look! God doesn’t want me to apologize to my neighbor!
Are we asking for direction or asking for more than that? Jesus said on two occasions that “a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign” (Matthew 12:39; 16:1-4). The problem with signs lies more in the fact that even if they are provided we may not believe them because of our wavering faith.
So, the conclusion I arrived at this morning is that I need to continue to seek God’s DIRECTION regarding my request, but not specifically ask for SIGNS. While God has and will at times speak directly and dramatically, that isn’t always the way He provides us with guidance and answers. More often than not He will speak to us through his Word in a verse or passage, and will couple that with giving us enough information to know He has provided an answer, yet still requiring us to step out in faith trusting Him.
Dead Man Walking 
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