Fleece

Once again, it's been a while since I've sat down with some coffee and a much-needed dose of Jesus-truth.  But here I am again.  My sweet husband is still gone, but there is a light at the end of this tunnel.  And today, on Veteran's Day, I'm reminded that God has been so faithful in caring for us both.  That's not to say that were my husband one of the many to give their lives in service to their country that God would be any less faithful, but He has cared for this weak daughter with such kindness and mercy.

That said, I've been thinking lately about what it looks like when we're living for the Lord.  About a month ago I wrote a paper for a Grad class about Gideon.  I hardly remembered anything about him.  He was that guy in the book of Judges who had the whole fleece episode.  And apparently he was regarded as someone of great faith because the author of Hebrews includes him in his "Faith Hall of Fame" along with other less-savory Judges (Heb. 11:32).  I assumed that Gideon was there because the whole fleece episode was some great act of faith (do you remember?  He asked God to show him a sign that He would really do all that He had said).

But I was wrong.  See, Gideon was actually a man of fear. He came from a lowly family and thought he wouldn't amount to much (Judges 6:15). He was afraid to live life as a follower of Yahweh, so when asked to tear down the altar of Baal, he did it at night so he wouldn't be caught (vs. 27).  The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and emboldened him to deliver Israel from the Midianites.  But even though Gideon had been visited by the angel of the Lord (actually, the Lord Himself!), and had been given boldness and opportunity, he was still scared.  And that's why he asked God for a sign.  And God used all of these things to grow him into the man of faith he was intended to be.  In fact, God knew ahead of time what He was going to do with Gideon--when He first approached Gideon, He addressed him as a valiant warrior.  He saw the end-product, even if Gideon didn't.

Interesting to think about.  Let's take this beyond coffee (yes, I'm drinking mine right now!).  Sometimes God comes down and speaks to us clearly about our purpose.  But let's be honest - we're not all Gideons and, for most of us, living a life of faith involves a much higher degree of mystery.  What then, has God asked YOU to do?  Specific life situations and callings aside (that's another post!), God has told us exactly what to do in life:

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

If you're like Gideon, weak of faith (chronically, or even just occasionally), know that God isn't shaking His finger at you.   He dealt graciously with Gideon, and He does the same with each of us, in our own way.  Live for Him in whatever way He puts in front of you....and enjoy your coffee!