Testing God

Sometimes I want to test God so that I can know exactly which direction He wants me to go. Does He want us to buy a house? Is there a reason all of these deals fall through or don’t even get off the ground? Or is this perhaps God testing me?

In the Old Testament a man named Gideon used a small test for God that worked for him.

He laid a piece of wool fleece on the threshing floor and said to God “If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry then I’ll know that God will save Israel.”

Not a very hard test for God but it shows that Gideon doubted that God would do what He said He would do. But God worked with Gideon in spite of his lack of trust. Dew was only on the fleece and the ground around it was dry.

But, as humans are, we need to double-check God to make sure it’s really Him talking to us. Kind’ve like rolling die 3 times and going with the 2 out of 3 decision.

So Gideon tests God again. This time He asks God to do the reverse, make the ground wet with dew and leave the fleece dry. And God, being ever so patient with us, comes through again.

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. Judges 6:36-39

Gideon was a little too bold for me. I’d rather wait and trust that God will speak to me when He’s ready and in His own way than for me to devise some test for Him.

So – I continue to pray and listen.