We live in a world obsessed with “Spirituality” In the last ten years mediums, psychics, spirtualists have come out of the woodwork and gained prominence. Just about every night there are on our television sets series whose content is devoted to the “Spirit world”
We are warned in the New Testament that there will be counterfeit miracles and such practices. We need to be very conscious and not get sucked into the vortex around us.
In Judges we see Gideon called by God, in his weakness he struggled to believe God could use him. I can understand his uncertainty, we all doubt, we all struggle with what we can do for God. Rather we should think what can God do through us. Gideon seeks a sign and God delivers! Don’t be afraid to seek for understanding and wisdom as for Silver and Gold, do it with all your heart (Proverbs 2v1ff)
Judges 6 vs. 33-38 – Seeking a Sign
Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel
And crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel, then the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon.
Sometimes it is as everything is about to come against us, the storm clouds gather, others against us rail
Things build up there is a sense if things continue in the same vein that they will only get worse, we’ll be hit full on
That we won’t be able to stand, we’ll be blown away by the impact of the load, and we seem doomed to fail
But it as we get to the point of frailty, of no return, that God’s spirit is enabled to bring a change in condition
For we in ourselves do not have the answers or the capability to do it on or own, in God’s strength we will avail
For in him all things are possible, like Gideon we can be enabled, the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon
He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him he also sent messengers
Throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors and all of them responded.
Gideon in God’s strength and authority could call the warriors with certainty and there were from them no dissenters
For they recognised that God’s mantle was upon him, that with him leading them victory was certain, assured
For it is not my might, nor by power that this world bestows, but by God’s spirit we can do all things, be conquerors
As we trust in God and believe in his word he is then able to work in us and we can be joyful not despondent
Then 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,
Is this really you Lord? Like Gideon there are times when we hear a word but are unsure about it, it has hues of gray
It is alright to test what we hear, as I Thessalonians 5 v 20 says “but test everything” discern, know what to do and try
For we can easily mis-hear or not comprehend that which God intends, allow the Spirit to guide, his word then obey
We need to go forward in that which God purposes, for it is to grow and embolden us, otherwise we will weep and cry
Then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” And that is just what happened.
When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.
Gideon laid out the fleece wanting to see if God could prove himself, which he did, even then Gideon demurred
And asked that God did one more thing to do in reverse so that the fleece was dry and the ground wet with water
Sometimes we need to be shown more than once that God is faithful and that we can believe what we’ve heard
We live in a world where to trust in something or somebody is an anachronism, rare, we should trust God no other
Belief or system can assure us of eternal life, provide us with a God who is omniscient, full of grace, a living word
We can stand on the promises of God, listening every moment for the Spirit’s call, as we do drink of his living water
Mark Maffey, January 2008© (NLT) http://maffster.blogtown.co.nz/