Asking For Signs

Asking for Signs

Q: What object did Gideon use to have God give him a special sign?

• a. wool fleece
• b. dice
• c. cards

The Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel. Together, they had a huge combined army. God had told Gideon that Gideon would lead an army against them (see Judges 6:14-16). But Gideon was unsure. He wanted to be absolutely certain that God was really asking him to do this. So he requested a sign.

Gideon said to God, “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.”

Gideon put the fleece out, and the next morning the fleece was wet, but the ground around it was dry. Gideon still wasn’t convinced, so he asked for the opposite to be true. He 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.” It happened just as Gideon requested.

Now Gideon was convinced, so he gathered up his army. There were 32,000 men ready to go to war. But God had other plans to show that God, not the Israelites, would defeat the Midianite army. (You’ll read about it in tomorrow’s devotion.)

God called Gideon, but Gideon was afraid and unsure of himself. Once he was convinced that God really had chosen him, he moved forward in faith.

For You

Gideon’s fear made him hesitate to do what God asked him to do. Don’t let your fears make you slow to obey God. Today God guides his people through the Bible, so when you need proof, you don’t have to ask for signs. Instead, study the Word and listen for God to speak to you.

Answer: a

That night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.   Judges 6:40

(The Whole Story: Judges 6:33-40)