Scripture: Judges 6:36-40 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
Devotion: Another example of God being slow to anger can be seen through the story of Gideon. A timid man, Gideon has been called by God to lead Israel in battle. And he can hardly believe it. Why would the Lord choose someone like him, the smallest in his clan?
At some point, Gideon asks for a sign. He asks that God would make dew only on the fleece he lays out and not on the ground. And that Lord does so. But, to make sure that it was not a coincidence, and that God was truly calling him to lead Israel, he asked that the ground be wet but not the fleece. And again, the Lord does this.
Gideon’s story is a bit different than what we have explored so far. Jonah heard what God called him to and completely disobeyed. Abraham heard God’s promise to him and grew impatient, taking matters into his own hands. Gideon is slow to act and questions God’s plan for his life.
Does this resonate with you at all? Perhaps you question your calling in life, wondering why God didn’t gift you differently. Maybe you question why you grew up in the family you did. Or maybe you are wondering why God has allowed you to suffer with depression, grief, or loss? I think this is true for most of us. It is easy to look at other people and want our life to look like theirs. Or maybe it is simply that God is calling us to do something out of our comfort zone, and we don’t like that. Either way, we all go through seasons of questioning God’s plan. But the question we must ask ourselves then is this: do I trust in God’s sovereignty and plan? Do I trust what the Bible says in Romans 8:28, that God is truly working all things together for the good of those who love Him?
As I sit and reflect on those questions for myself, they challenge me. I declare this Scripture and have no issue believing it for other people, but when it comes to my own life, it seems to fly out the window as soon as things get tough. I’m using this as a reminder that God is the one in control. And a God who is the perfect example of love, grace, truth, mercy, justness, and faithfulness is worth trusting. I’m declaring over my days and over my life that He will use it all for His glory and my good.
Reflect:
- Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Pray that God would help you to trust His plan for your life and that He will work it all together for your good.