Fleeced?

Are you willing to ask God if He really means what He says? Gideon did.

When called by God, his first response was that God had forsaken Israel. How could God be looking out for these people?

And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. (Judges 6:13 KJV)

The first step of the renewal was so fearful to Gideon that he could not accomplish it in the day time.

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. (Judges 6:27 KJV)

The next steps were even greater. Gideon needed assurance.

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. (Judges 6:36-38 KJV)

Insufficient. That might have been an accident.

And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. (Judges 6:39-40 KJV)

Are we willing to be as certain we are following God’s will? So many say they are – yet their paths appear divisive. Are we willing to put the equivalence of fleece before God and ask, or do we look upon that as rebellion? Or, as Christ described a generation?

But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: (Matthew 12:39 KJV)

I think that is tempered with:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6 KJV)

To know the peace that following God’s path can bring, it may be necessary to ask directions. Is this really the right road? When those questions arise, for ourselves or for others, He is able to provide. And we can provide our answer to those who ask the reason for our path.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (1 Peter 3:15 KJV)

Detail of Greek icon showing Gideon holding fleece (Wiki Commons)