Judges 6:39–40: “Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.’ And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.”

April 20th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

God called Gideon to go against the Midianites but he was timid. He asked to set a test for God to see if He was truly calling him. He left a fleece out during the night and asked God to let the fleece be wet and the ground dry in the morning, and God did it. But Gideon was still afraid and asked for another sign. Gideon’s second request for conformation was the reverse of his first, a dry fleece but wet ground. Again, despite Gideon’s lack of faith, God obliged him with great grace. The next morning the fleece was dry but the ground wet. Gideon had a sign that even he could not challenge. It’s interesting that much later Jewish tradition says this fleece was fashioned into a vest that Gideon wore under his breastplate in battle. If this is true, it would remind him, and his men who might see it, of the Lord’s promise to save them, which would encourage them to trust, rely, and have confidence in the Lord.

The lesson here is that God uses the weak. The Apostle Paul says:

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. (1 Cor. 1:26–27)

God’s choices would not be our choices. Why? Why use the weak? What’s wrong with the flesh? God created man, but the flesh now represents selfishness, self-reliance, sin, and evil. Satan successfully tempted Adam and Eve to self-sufficiency, which brought separation between God and humanity. Therefore God wants weak vessels, and anyone who boasts in his own strength or ability God won’t use. God follows this policy so that no flesh will glory in His presence. Because Gideon was a very weak individual, God choose him to deliver Israel.

“LORD, we choose to be weak to our own ideas and plans and strong in You. Help us to stay connected to You today not relying on our own strength.”