Hearing His Voice #318

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.”

Judges 6:36-37

Gideon had already asked for a sign to make sure God was speaking to him (Judges 6:17). Here he asks for another sign to see if God’s promise is true. And when God grants that request, Gideon will again ask for a sign to make sure the last one was accurate. His tentativeness may seem faithless to us, and perhaps it was. But God was patient with him and gave the reassurances he asked for. Gideon’s repeated asking wasn’t ideal, but neither was it sinful. When God calls people to a big assignment, he makes sure they get the message.

We sometimes hesitate to ask God for multiple confirmations, but then we question the two or three we’ve already received. We may look down on people who ask for signs, but then we proceed just as tentatively as Gideon would have without them. We need to remember that God is patient with our attempts to hear His voice and follow Him, and He understands our uncertainties. He probably doesn’t want us to keep asking after many confirmations—that would be an indication of unbelief—but He will give us enough clarity for us to anchor our faith in what He has said. He wants us to be confident in His words.

Don’t be afraid to ask God for something concrete that would confirm His words. Don’t depend on outward confirmations; He won’t be backed into a corner and compelled to prove Himself. But give Him the opportunity to reassure you. And when He does, believe Him. He wants you to trust the direction He has given you.

Lord, I know we walk by faith and not by sight. But sometimes I need reassurance that my faith is heading in the right direction. Be patient with me. Show me signs, and give me faith to believe them.