I don’t suspect I’m alone when I say I have asked for signs. Sort of like Gideon’s fleece in Judges 6. Gideon seemed to be the “least likely to succeed” candidate to lead God’s people vs the Midianites. Gideon thought so as well. His fleece proposition is legendary and has served as a “go to” for many individuals seeking God’s will. The test was/is simple: “If the fleece is wet and the ground dry then I know it is You.” That wasn’t enough so next time around it was “If the fleece is dry and the ground wet then I know it is You.” It happened both times as Gideon proposed.
That “fleece method” has been the way of many over the years. I’m one of them. I now wonder about the wisdom of that. I have learned something about myself: I can make whatever happens to fit my narrative. Many years ago I did that with buying a car. “If this happens then I’ll know.” Well…it happened but there was another glitch. Again, I laid out that fleece and the same thing happened. The third time was the charm. I finagled and bargained until I was convinced the choice was right. I got the car. It was a dumb purchase and it laid the groundwork for misreading God’s will on a number of levels.
I think I would be correct in assuming what I did bordered on superstition. God’s will is a mystery and is not meant to be “found” by conjuring up mystical means. Maybe the important thing to do is to stop looking for “signs” and just start seeking and following God’s guidance.
And that leads me to Principle #6…tomorrow.
I can’t deny that I tried a number of methods to seek God’s will. Though, I have never tried the obvious “fleece method”, I suspect my results would have been similar. Whatever happens, I would find a way to justify my desire. I think if I am honest with myself, I know what I “should” do before even asking most of the time.
The Bible has pretty clear instruction regarding relationships, finances, and our actions. I think if I look close enough, I can find what I am looking for there.
The question really then becomes… Do I like the answer?
When thinking about trying to discern God’s Will, I often come back to the parable of the talents. Seems like a strange connection, but let me see what others think.
God has provided His endless wisdom throughout the Bible. If I choose to live my life according to the His written word in all areas, then perhaps, God would provide me more insight into His unwritten will. I believe He does this through the Holy Spirit living inside us. I think this understanding and knowledge may be shared based on how we handle the direction He has already shared….
Would be interested to hear your thoughts on this.
Ryan S.
The answer deserves a separate post Ryan. I will be working on that. Thanks for the challenge
The Gideon story has always seemed like a bit of testing of God’s will, and not simply accepting His Word and acting on it. We all have a bit of Gideon in us, that’s for sure, and we can learn some powerful lessons from this example.
Blessings, Bill!
I’m inclined to agree Martha. It is like Gideon just didn’t really want to follow or to do what God said. But one thing we can say, God did have a plan for Gideon’s life. With or without a fleece God was going to use him.
I believe we all have some Gideon in us. Often times when I am undecided on a certain decision I want a for sure sign from God, to tell me what to do. I also forget it is not my timing but God’s timing, and also who am I to tell God to give me an answer right this minute. I agree with Ryan that the more we read God’s word and truly seek his guidance, the Holy Spirit will in fact guide us. God does not wish to hold information from us that would help us, its on me to be walking in the spirit and closer I draw to God, the more in tune I will be to his directions. Much easier said than done. So many times, I have found waiting on the answer may be where I have my biggest spiritual growth. That patience thing, the Lord is continually working on me on that.
That is a great reply Gail. I especially liked the end thought. “That patience thing…” Yeah, He is continually working on me as well. I just get tired of waiting for my maturity to happen. 🙂