Do not put the Lord your God to the test....

-
What about Gideon? He put the Lord to the test and everything turned out fine. Have you ever known, through the word of God, exactly what God would have you do or not do, but "put out a fleece" anyway - just to be sure? Well, the temptation to do this is very strong, and I have found myself putting out my own modern-day "fleece" a few times over the years. The temptation to look for signs and read omens is strong in the hearts of men, even in our more "sophisticated" days; and I have been acquainted with many Christians who still practice versions of this. So what are we to make of Gideon? Here's a response to that question from Daniel Block at Koinonia

Comments

Ancoti said…
It is not our place to question God and we do so at our peril. Why was Gideon allowed to> Was it to show God's love and patience?

Do you want to take that chance? Not sure I do, others did not fare as well as old Gideon. Better not to question a sovereign God, but to trust Him.
May 29, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Karin said…
Since I was young it has been impressed upon my heart not to seek for signs, read omens or follow any the modern equivalent practices. Thankfully I have never had any interest in that. I have always been surprised at God's patience with Gideon's request. Good link! Thanks!
May 29, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

in which I discuss the unthinkable

-
Paul and I have just returned home from the funeral of a most precious little girl.  Lydia's smile could have lit a room. Now it reflects the glory of God the Savior for all eternity. Perhaps you've noticed the sparsity of my entries here these last two weeks. We've been struggling and praying for appropriate ways to handle what we're dealing with, and when and whether to speak about it. Up until now, for reasons which will become obvious, I've only shared this with a very few trusted friends. Paul made reference to it on his blog several days ago, but with no specifics.  I think it may be time for me to fill in the gaps. What we're dealing with is horrible and ugly - about as ugly as it gets. This all happens on the heels of my mother's death, and has now somehow managed to even overshadow that.  Mother's death, as difficult as it was...well...it made sense. She was 87 years old, and hadn't been well in many years. This, on the other hand, is a m...
Continue reading...

I forgave you a long time ago...

-
"I forgave you a long time ago..." I pray that I never forget those words as long as I live. They were a gift spoken by a friend I had hurt unintentionally many months before. It had taken me some time to recognize the offense I had caused, some more time to accept that she had a right to feel offended, even though, in my opinion I had done nothing wrong. It took more time still before love won out and I worked up the courage to face her. I dreaded her rejection. I feared this treasured relationship would be lost forever. But instead of the rejection I feared, she gave me this gift. She not only forgave me, she loved me, and continued on as though the whole episode was barely worth mention, nothing but a little bump on the road to the continued sweet fellowship and mutual encouragement we had always shared. There are many things I may before have considered to be marks of true godliness, but I none can hold a candle to this: "I forgave you a long time ago......
Continue reading...

"It is finished!" ...and I am free...

-
Image
What can I say? I've been set free. It's as simple as that. It's been a long time coming, but the simplest of truths has finally filled my thick skull with peace. For nearly as long as I've been a Christian I've grappled with the subject of legalism and the Old Covenant Law. I've read so much and heard so many sermons on the subject and all the while the waters have only grown murkier and my confusion greater. I've heard there are those who disregard the Old Testament entirely, seeing it as useless, something we ought not even bother ourselves with. But, to be honest, in all my years in various church settings (from Pentecostal to Reformed Baptist) I've never, ever met anyone who believes that way. No, what I've encountered are a variety of Christians from a variety of traditions all claiming to be "Bible-believing" struggling, generally with all sincerity, to figure out what to do with the Old Testament in light of t...
Continue reading...