Thought of the Day !!

Then Gideon said to God, "In order to see whether you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said, I am going to lay a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground then I shall know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said."
Judges 6:36-37 (NRSV)

I was reading through Judges last night and came across the story of Gideon and this small segment that has always given me trouble. In actuality Gideon demands not once but twice that God prove Himself to Gideon. I compare this with the scripture that Jesus quotes when being tempted by the devil that goes, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Or at least I always have. Today I'm looking at things a little differently. Allow me to explain.

In the Bible I was reading last night there was a heading above this passage that read "Gideon asks for a sign". Now this is much different from my understanding of a man who tests God. Maybe Gideon, who'd heard God speak to him for the first time, wasn't quite sure what God sounded like. How many times, even after knowing God's voice in the past, have I wondered if it were God directing me or something else? Maybe Gideon had to be sure it was really God.

I've often wondered if it showed a lack of faith to ask God for a sign and specify what that sign might be. For instance, as a child I once was looking out my window late one night at the lightning storm. I remember as the lightning was getting almost nonexistent I asked God to give me a sign. If He were really there, to make it lightning right now. And a huge bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Well, not sure if it were coincidence or not, I asked again and it happened again. I kept asking...as kids just like to be amazed by things...and it stopped.

I wonder today if I should ask for particular signs? Actually, I have done so from time to time. At least once God gave me the sign that I asked for. It was when He called me into the ministry. But there have been others when it seemed like my request fell on deaf ears. Was He not listening? Or could this be a test of patience for me? Or might He be telling me that I must learn faith by not always knowing?

My point is this. If we ask for signs from God with good intentions and a well-meaning heart, we might or might not get the sign we ask for. But there will be those times when God will show us a sign so that we can hang on to the memory of it and it will keep us going.

Seek signs from God, the ones He chooses and even ones you might ask for. And thank Him for however He chooses to speak to you.

In the love of Christ,
greg