April 2

Judges 6:36-40

Just checking

Gideon wanted to be absolutely certain that God wanted him to rescue the Israelites from their enemies. He said to the Lord, "I will place a sheep skin on the ground outside tonight. In the morning, if only the fleece is covered with dew and the ground around it is dry, I will know that You are going to use me to rescue Israel."

The next morning, when Gideon got up, the fleece was so wet that he could fill a bowl with the water he squeezed from it, even though the ground around it was dry. Then Gideon said to God, "Please don’t be angry with me. Let me ask just one more thing. This time, let the fleece be dry and the ground around it wet." The following morning, the fleece was completely dry, yet the ground around it was soaked!

Is it wrong to ask God for a sign?

In most cases, you won’t need a special sign to know whether something is right and good. You don’t need the Lord to give you a sign to be kind to someone or to obey your parents. These are things the Bible already tells us are good and right. The Bible also warns us not to test the Lord or expect Him to answer a silly request (Luke 4:12).

Some people ask for a special sign from God because they don’t fully trust Him (Mark 8:11-12), and others because they don’t want to do what God has already told them.

However, Gideon might have put the lives of many Israelites in danger if he hadn’t made sure he understood God’s message clearly. God will also guide you when you earnestly ask Him to lead you.

Verse for today

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God. James 1:5