Faith

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November 14, 2011 – Second Guessing

36 And Gideon said to God, If you will deliver Israel by my hand as You have said, 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will deliver Israel by my hand, as You have said. 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the dew out of the fleece, he wrung from it a bowlful of water. 39 And Gideon said to God, Let not your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak this once. Let me make trial only this once with the fleece, I pray you; let it now be dry only upon the fleece and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40 And God did so that night, for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. – Judges 6:36-40 AMP


Gideon is best known in present day as the guy who put all those Bibles in hotel rooms. He is sometimes an overlooked figure in Biblical times. When you consider the fact that he has the likes of Moses, Elijah, Paul, and Jesus to contend with, it’s easy to understand why lessons from his life are often passed over.


Look at Gideon’s life. He had a big inferiority complex (Judges 6:15). Do you have an inferiority complex? Do you think you are the lowliest of your siblings or other family members? Gideon did. But after hearing from God, he rose above his feelings and followed Him. But he later showed his true self when he second guessed God by testing Him with the fleece. He asked God for a sign and got his answer.


Have you ever been like Gideon? Have you ever heard from God only to second guess what He told you in your every step? I remember when I first started writing there were times when fears and doubts would come over me. I was afraid of being rejected. What if the books I wrote didn’t sell? What if our website was unable to reach real people in a real way? What if I just wasn’t up to the task? Like Gideon, I was second guessing what God was calling me to do. Your situation may be different. You may feel like God is telling you and your spouse to start a family, but both of you are afraid to raise children in an immoral society. You may feel like God is telling you to quit your job for a new one, but you fear the possibility of God not providing you with one. You may even feel like God is calling you to be a missionary in a third world country, but you are terrified about leaving the safety and security of your home, family, and country. Whatever the case, do not be afraid or discouraged. If you put down your fears and doubts and trust and follow God, He will bring His plans for you to pass.


You can even put God to the test like Gideon. We did. When I finished the manuscript for our first book, we didn’t just sit around and wait for God to lead someone down our driveway. We sent it to publishers and prayed for God to lead us to the right one. We were even rejected by one publisher who called my writing too “dogmatic.” I took that as a compliment. We should all be dogmatic in our beliefs as Christians. We should always be ready to stand up for what we know is right in God’s eyes. If what you stand for is rejected by others, hold onto God’s plans for your life and follow Him. Gideon was rejected by those around him, but he held onto God’s plans and delivered Israel through all of it.


It’s also very important to point out that we have a resource at our disposal every day that Gideon didn’t have: the Bible. Gideon could not go to the Bible for encouragement. Sure, the five books of Moses and the book of Joshua had been written in his day, but they were not readily available as Bibles are today. He couldn’t even slide into his sandals and stroll down to Barnes and Noble and pick up a copy. But we are not in Gideon’s predicament today. The Bible is available in print, electronically, and even on audio. It can encourage and guide us. It speaks to us through teachings as well through the lives of those who were written about. With such information at our disposal, there is no need to second guess God: you should always know where He stands.


7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. – 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP


Verses like this are great when we start second guessing God’s direction for our lives. Sure, we can go straight to God and ask for a sign, but the Word imparts wisdom while at the same time offering encouragement and even warning. When you read and study the Bible for yourself, you’ll never have to wonder if God really said something. And you’ll never have to worry about being like Gideon and continually ask God if what He told you is really true.

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