Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 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.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39 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.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. Judges 6: 36-40
“Did I break it?” is usually a question we ask ourselves at a point we are trying to open, change or fix something and all of a sudden there’s an unfamiliar crack or shift that doesn’t seem to fit. It’s not fun to find out and then admit, “Yes, I did break it.” We’re especially relieved when we find out we didn’t break something of special value to us or that a child has entrusted to our care.
A different kind of break that can be life changing for the best, though, is when we break records. Making and reaching goals, and achieving beyond personal expectations is fulfilling.
God helps us get to His expectations for us, expectations He knows bring us fulfillment as He designed, by breaking our doubts and getting us past them. He shows us His faithfulness, goodness, whatever it is we need from Him, by reaching us in ways that make sense to us.
God didn’t have to, but because He is good and patient taught Gideon to trust His faithfulness in a way Gideon could understand.
A wet or dry wool fleece may not make much difference to anyone else, but it made a difference in Gideon’s life and the most important relationship Gideon would ever have with anyone – and that was with God. That’s all that mattered. So a fleece it was that God used to break Gideon’s doubt and get Gideon to a next place of trusting that God keeps His word.
God does the same with us.
He brings us to a next place in our faith so we’re not where we were yesterday, last month, last year. He is the author and finisher of our faith, and we can trust Him to patiently get us past the things that hold us back.
God knows these things:
· Your heart,
· Where your next step of faith leads,
· What He needs to do to help you get there,
· He wants you there more than you do,
· Loves you too much to leave you in a place of doubt.
Ask God to break your doubts and get you to a next place of trusting Him.
