DOUBT WILL ROB US OF FAITH
Judges 6:39-40 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. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
This was the second test that Gideon did to see if God was really going to use him to set Israel free of the constant attacks that the Midianite, Amalekite and other eastern peoples had been bringing for the past seven years. The first test Gideon asked of the Lord was just the opposite of this one. He asked for the fleece to be wet and the ground to be dry. But even this was not the first miracle or supernatural confirmation to his calling to set Israel free of their attacks. An angel had come with news from the Lord that Gideon was to lead Israel’s army.
This angel touched his staff on some meat, broth and unleavened bread, and fire came out and consumed it. Then the angel disappeared before Gideon. Gideon must have doubted that the angel was really from God, or he wouldn’t have asked for more conformation. He had already seen the supernatural right in front of him with his own eyes. His message wasn’t second hand, and the angel couldn’t have been more plain in what was expected of him. Part of Gideon’s problem was that he doubted that he could get an army to follow him let alone defeat such a huge opponent. He saw himself in light of everything that other people said and thought of him. He saw himself as someone that belonged at a winepress threshing wheat in constant fear for his life. He saw the battle as his destruction and not for the Lord’s glory. He saw nothing good coming from him trying to get a army together to fight a battle that he had no hopes of winning. This was sure a striking difference in how Gideon saw his calling to defeat Israel’s enemy than that of David.
In I Samuel 17:45,46a it talks about David and Goliath, “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head,” (vs48) As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. David saw the battle as the Lord’s. David believed he was a mighty warrior, and that he just watched over sheep for a living. David believed that God was going to use him to defeat Israel’s enemies. Gideon doubted that he could lead an army to defeat Israel’s enemies.
So why didn’t David want some signs from God before he was willing to be used by God and Gideon needed so many? Maybe it was because David already had a personal relationship with God, and that God had already helped him kill a bear and lion. David was a person of self-confidence and confidence in the Lord, and Gideon had neither. After all Gideon’s own father had an altar to Baal and an Asherah. Gideon was used to idol worship, and not in trusting the Lord as David had been doing.
A common element in the end for both of them to have victory for the Lord was faith in God helping them. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Heb 11:6) Belief is not enough. Satan and the powers of darkness all believe that there is one God and shudder, but that will not get them back in heaven. (James 2:19) It takes putting our beliefs into action and doing something that testifies to the true assurance we have in our belief. This action is called faith. We can believe that Jesus died for our sins, but until we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins and to come into our heart we are no better off than Satan and the powers of darkness.
Well, if both David and Gideon had faith why did Gideon have the problems he had needing three confirmations from God. The answer is doubt! Doubt destroys faith. The more we doubt God the less likely we will have faith to do anything. Satan has been using doubt to turn people away from trusting God from the very beginning with Adam and Eve. In Gen 3:4, Satan planted the seeds of doubt and mistrust in Adam and Eve by implying that God really didn’t have their best interest in mind. He made them think that God was trying to keep them from being like him. And I am sure it was the powers of darkness that kept reminding Gideon that he was the least of the least, and who was he to lead a army anyway let alone against such a great foe. Gideon’s mistake was listening to the powers of darkness and not to to the Lord.
Gideon was not wrong in asking for confirmation about his calling. God does not mind in helping us to have assurance. What he does mind is when we question his integrity! God expects us to take the belief we have in him helping us and put it into action. (faith) We need to do something, and not keep doubting. Jesus even said in Lk 9:62 that, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The lion in the Wizard of Oz couldn’t be the mighty lion he was created for, because he felt he didn’t have courage. Because a Christian has a belief in the one true Almighty God and Savior in Jesus Christ, they can have courage like David to know that God will always be there for them. All that is left to do for the Christian is take that step of faith, and not listen to the whispers of doubt that Satan will try to bring. Satan can not stop you, but he can try to convince you that you should stop stepping out in faith and trusting Jesus!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please give us the courage and commitment to keep trusting you to lead us, and help us in our daily life and all you call us to do. We ask this in your holy name.
