Ask for a Sign?
The story of how Gideon asked God for a sign is recorded in the book of Judges. God told Gideon to fight the Midianite invaders and He assured him saying “Go…and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:14).
But Gideon in spite of these assurances asked God for a sign. Gideon put out a piece of wool overnight and asked God to make it wet while keeping the area around it dry. In mercy, the Lord granted Gideon his request. Yet, Gideon asked for another sign. This time he asked the fleece itself will be dry but the area around it wet. The Lord again granted him his sign thus confirming that Israel would be victorious as was promised by the angel of the Lord (Judges 6:14-16).
The truth is that Gideon didn’t need to ask for these two signs because God had told him he would have victory and confirmed His Word with a supernatural display of fire. God is faithful to His promises. In the New Testament, Jesus addressed the Israelites who asked for a sign saying, “a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign” (Matthew 12:39; 16:1-4). Jesus had already given the Jews so many evidences of fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, supernatural acts of raising the dead and healing the sick, yet they didn’t believe.
Today, we have an advantage over Gideon in that we have all the Scriptures and the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the word of God “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are equipped with the evidence of God’s surety provided in the Bible that we do not need to ask for signs. Rather than seeking signs through fleeces, we should seek to the know the will of God through His Holy word for the He promised, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8).
Jesus promised that the Comforter “shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). God will grant us all the wisdom we need to discern His will in our lives. He said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
