The Fleece Incident

I've been working through a career transition process with a company called People Management (or SIMA International). Right now, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for them to complete my profile. I'm looking forward to finding out what they will say about my motivations and strengths. The profile will be based on all the pages I wrote about significant events and achievements in my life from childhood up to the present, and on a seventy-minute interview this past Monday. The coach described their process as "high touch, not high tech."

Sometimes I think this career stuff would be easier if an angel of the Lord approached me while I was threshing grain in a winepress. He would say, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior," or something like that. And then he would tell me what to do, and I'd go do it. Well I hope I would.

Gideon wasn't too quick about going to do it. I've known about Gideon since I was little because they told me about him when I was in Sunday School. Since then I've preached about him once or twice. It's easy to preach about him because it's such a great Bible story. But I heard something brand new about Gideon the other day. Pastor Rick McKinniss from Wellspring Church talked about Gideon.

I've always thought of Gideon's tests -- the fleece incident -- as evidence of weak faith and reluctance to act. But Rick said when God gives a big assignment (and Gideon's assignment was pretty big) it is right to ask for strong confirmation.

I'm going to do that as this journey goes along. This is all in God's sovereign hands, of course. He'll assign, direct and confirm in exactly the right way. But I'm going to humbly ask him to make the path overwhelmingly clear. I'd like strong confirmation, please. I know I'll need faith, but God seemed pleased to give Gideon the confirmation he needed and I'm praying for that, too.