Throwing Down a Fleece

Trishcuit

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Throwing Down a Fleece

I know Gideon did it. Who else put 'conditions' before God to direct them in deciding? Is this frowned upon by God? Because sometimes it sure is tempting.
 
Judges 6:37
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."



Judges 6:38
And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.



Judges 6:39
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. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew."


Judges 6:40
That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

I can't honestly say that I have heard of people doing that today . That happened in the OT. Gideon was testing God .

A fleece in those days was the shorn wool of a lamb . The first of the shearing was to be given to the priesthood , as a part of their means of support.

Gideon put out a fleece to seek God's guidance.
 
Why do you thinkGideon said

"Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request."

Maybe deep down he knew he should not be putting God to the test?
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
that is just it, Adstar. it is between the worrying about testing God, as we are told not to do, and sometimes needing clear guidance. (and sometimes nothing short of a sledgehammer will do. :D)

Benny Hinn, when he wanted to know if this young lady in particular was to be his God given wife, asked the Lord to prove it to him. He wanted the first thing this girl to say to him to be "I made you a cheesecake" when she met him at the airport. Guess what she said? "Benny I hope you like cheesecake because I made you one".
 
Why do you thinkGideon said

"Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request."

Maybe deep down he knew he should not be putting God to the test?
All Praise The Ancient Of Days



Was he testing God or was he wanting to get things right?
 
Another example would be Abraham's servant when he went to find a wife for Isaac. The story is in Genesis 24. So that he would know the girl that the Lord had chosen, he said "May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels, too,' - let her be the one You have chosen for Your servant Isaac." (verse 14). This is exactly how it happened.

In the New Covenant, our guidance is supposed to come from the Holy Spirit, Who lives within us. We should never base a decision primarily on the outcome of a "fleece". However, because we sometimes don't hear as clearly as we should - and because some of us are very prone to "second guessing" ourselves - I don't think the Lord has a problem with us seeking confirmation. The Word does say that everything should be confirmed "by the mouths of two or three witnesses", and there is no reason why one of those "witnesses" should not be a "fleece." We just have to be careful that the "fleece" is something totally neutral to the thing we are seeking confirmation about.

blessings,

Lynn
 
The Fleece Part 1

I had a recent experience with the Fleece, and has posted in the Inner Room but will share- be prepared a bit lengthy. 3 parts.

First of all let me say , the example below is from the Old Testament. As I know we do not live by the OT, but this is what the Lord used in regards to freedom from the relationship I was in.

Judges 6:37-40 (New International Version)

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. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

As many of you know, I have been struggling letting go of a man I was in love with. A Christian man I have loved and been involved with for 2 years and 6 months. I am thankful and give praises to the Lord for this relationship. It is through the muck of this relationship, that I have come to know our Lord and truly accepted him as my Savior.

For so long, I have known that this relationship was not where God truly wanted me. There were times that I had become a woman that was not pleasing to Christ. I have never trusted the Lord , hence I could not trust people in life in general. Therefore, I would snoop and look for things to be wrong. I kept searching for answers in so many ways. God showed me signs but I kept ignoring them. During this time, my journey with the Lord kept going and I kept striving to become more mature. I wanted to save this man. I tried shoving God down his throat. I had seen in my own life the miracles of our Lord. As we all know, not one of us can save another , but Jesus can. Bondman had encouraged me and told me the only way this person would truly come to know the savior is by me walking away and letting God do his work in him. Well I still refused! Can you imagine! Nope I kept trying
to do it my way!

As God kept showing me things, I kept praying and said to the Lord that for 2009 I truly wanted to go into the new year with surrendering all to God. I mean all! Including this relationship. But I did not have the strength within me. I prayed to God to do it.

I spent Christmas day with him. We prayed that morning that we gave thanks for his son being born, and Lord going into 2009 , let us have a new birth in both our lives. We enjoyed Christmas with my family, but I kept praying in my heart for the Lord to give me the strength by New Years day to follow the Lord 100%. We attended a family wedding on the Saturday after Christmas. It was the most awesome wedding I have ever been to.

The father of the bride was a Pastor and he gave an awesome message right from the bible to the bride and groom. The other Pastor gave a wonderful salvation message to all. He really explained about heaven and hell. He married the couple and announced for the kiss. The couple gave their first kiss, a very longing kiss. The pastor laughed and said he lost the bet, as he said it would be a quick peck! He announced that this was their first kiss! The groom was 33 and the bride was 27. They had been dating for over a year!
When my boyfriend and I got in the car to go to the reception, I was bawling! I said I want that! That is what Christ wants of us. Not what we have.

Go to Part 2

 
The Fleece Part 2

Fast Forward to New Years Eve.

We went to dinner at our friends house. We had a very nice dinner, but I kept praying to God, God it is getting close. The new year is coming. I want to be new in you. My girlfriend gave me the book “The Shack”. I got up on New Years Day and read it in 4 hours. It was the best book besides the bible that I have ever read! God really spoke to me.

My boyfriend and I were in the habit of having cigar time. This is where he would smoke his cigars and I would have my cigarettes. During these times, we would have awesome conversations. I went into the back room and prayed, and said Ok God, it is New Years, give me the strength. Let my words be your words.

The conversation opened up and we started talking. I started speaking that I truly felt that at this time in our life, that God really did not want us to be together. I said I am struggling. I believe I am a stumbling block to you as you are to me. We are not whole in Christ. We are not who Christ wants us to be.

Here comes the fleece part:

His response was that he had been praying as well and that back in October he had prayed fervently to the Lord. He asked God for signs as well and God answered with signs. I said what were the signs. He stated he preferred not to tell me. I said please tell me as I tell you everything.
He stated:

He placed a fleece before the Lord. Lord if she is the one for me, let her start paying me back the money she owes me. ( If you remember my old car blew up in September and my family blessed with me a new car. He encouraged me to get the old one fixed and bless someone else with it. I stated I did not have the money. He said I will put it on my credit card and you can pay me back. ). He stated he knew how close I was to God and how God would show him. He asked the Lord to put it on my heart for a check to come to him. He gave it a two month time frame. When the two months were up, no check had come. He was in a panic! He seeked help and went to the Christian counselor we were both going to individually. He did want to accept what the Lord was showing him.

Meanwhile I had been praying for God to touch his heart and show him the way and for God to keep giving me signs. When he was here for dinner his cell phone rang and it was the woman from his past that had been haunting our relationship for a long time. I knew it was God calling me!

Ok, now for an interesting part. I had a check in my purse to give him over New Years!

As I packed my car yesterday to come home, I had him sit down on the couch and placed the folded up check on the stand. I took his hand and said to him, I know you do not understand , but I do. It is God answering our prayers. God wants you to believe in him 100%! and for me to believe 100%. God is using this to show you and me.
Go to part 3 (sorry so long!)

 
The Fleece Part 3

Fleece Part 3.

He started crying. I just don’t understand! I asked something of God that was not to hard at all for God to do. All I asked the Lord for was a $ 100.00 check. Guess what people!
The check I gave him that was folded up was for $ 100.00! BUT, the time frame of the fleece had passed. He stood up bawling. He went to get Kleenex. I stood up and got my purse and ready to leave. I took ahold of the door handle. The tears streaming down my face. I cried out to the Lord, oh Lord strengthen me! Give me the strength, give him the strength to go forth into the new year, with a new birth from you!

Ok, that is the short kind of long version. I just had to share it all with you. You see we can do it our way and take forever, months, as in this case , over a year! I came to this forum a year ago seeking help. I pm’d Bondman and Housesitter who both guide me way back then to what God wanted. I refused! I wanted to save this man! What I had to learn was to fully allow God to wrap his arms around me. I had to allow Jesus to save me. By staying in this relationship , I was dying! The past 2 months, I was almost dead. I was spiritually dead! But praises to our Lord, that he saved me.

As I drove down the highway, my steering wheel soaked in tears, I said Ok Lord, I am now following you! God show me how you want to use me to glorify your kingdom.
Lord I have prayed for you to clean me up 100% so I can go forth and lead others to you especially women, young women. I want them to know they do not have to live in unhealthy relationships. I want them to learn that you God , are our Mr. Right. God had to bring me out of this relationship, so I could be free to go forth and minister to others, God’s truth! I could not do that and glorify the Lord as long as I was still where I was!
I was exhausted. I just wanted to go back to my town, go on the Care-A Van and then go home and sleep. But God heard me, because just then I got a text message from the very first young woman that God placed in my life last March. A young woman who was addicted to Coccaine knew the Lord, but could not release the bondage of that and many other sins. Her message said:

It it’s ok, I am going to come visit for the week-end. I need to be with a sister in Christ. I should be there 12-12:30. That was the time frame that I would be arriving home from Care-A Van Ministry! God had other plans for me. I was not to go home
and sleep!
She arrived and has been here all week-end. When she walked in the door, she hugged me. She went in the kitchen , laid down on the floor and gave out a scream. I got down on the floor with her, took her hand and reassured her we are right where God wants us. On our knees, crying out to him, praising him and thanking him! The sun showed through the window on the both of us as we laid there. I said look, God’s light is shining on us and as we continue to seek him he will show us the way!

We went to church last night and again this morning. As the altar call came this morning, I went forth. I got on my knees. My body began to shake, the tears streaming down, soaking my face. I literally cried out and praised God and thanked him for the answering of my prayers, for the answering of the fleece. I finally was able to surrender all to our Lord Jesus! The prayers could not just stop! They kept flying forth. I told God I am his 100%!

I do not know where God will take me in 2009. But whatever he places before me, I will now be obedient and not question him. I will be walking with him. I no longer have to worry about anything! He has me. He is my comforter and healer.

I love you all. If you have read through to the end of this, thank you for taking the time. I know it was long, but you have all been there and never gave up on me and I thank you for that!
I love you all !

Faithwoman

PS. A very important ending note, I very well could have written payment checks for the money owed , as a matter of fact a couple of times, it came to my mind, it is not like me not to do that, but it was truly God that prevented me from writing that check, I believe that with all my heart. He had said it was not about the money, it was that he wanted an answer from the Lord. The Lord answered him, not in the way he wanted it answered but in the way the Lord wanted it answered. It has been said that some of the best prayers are the unanswered ones. Now there is a thought for all of us! hmmmmmm.

Also, they say God knows of everything in the past, the present and the future! God knew when that car blew up, what the final outcome would be. Who would have ever thought that God would use a 2002 Dodge neon with a 115,000 miles on it, in such a way to give honor and Glory to him! Remember the best part, not only did God give me a brand new 2008 Honda Civic , he gave me my life back!
Oh and yes I will say, I will continue to pray for my friend. I learned not to judge him, I learned to give him mercy and grace just like he learned to do with me and we prayed and forgave each other.
 
This is not tempting or forcing the Lords hand. It is not testing God. It in faith seeking an answer to a question of some importance. An acknowledgment of His rightousness and expression of ones belief in Him and desire to do or know what is right.
I do it when I need to know exactly what His will is for me. If anything our father in heaven is glorfied by it .


We stood at the door to a small church in South Carolina. My wife looked at me and ask "Is this the right one???
My resonce??
I prayed "Lord,if this is were you want me then let this place ask for my help before taking my offering".
In the opening remarks by the pastor he announced that the church was starting a move to a new location the next week and ask that all present help in making that move. God didn't toast me condem me . . . What he did was answer my sincere question as i ask it ,in a manner we both knew I could understand and accept.
Placing such conditions show many things but none any less important than the fact that one wants and believes in God and His rightous judgment.

The apostiles cast lots to determine who would replace Judus. God gave them His answer by it. His responce in every case shows that He is favorable to itwhen it is done in faith and sincerity.
sincerely
Cliff
 
Another example would be Abraham's servant when he went to find a wife for Isaac. The story is in Genesis 24. So that he would know the girl that the Lord had chosen, he said "May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels, too,' - let her be the one You have chosen for Your servant Isaac." (verse 14). This is exactly how it happened.

In the New Covenant, our guidance is supposed to come from the Holy Spirit, Who lives within us. We should never base a decision primarily on the outcome of a "fleece". However, because we sometimes don't hear as clearly as we should - and because some of us are very prone to "second guessing" ourselves - I don't think the Lord has a problem with us seeking confirmation. The Word does say that everything should be confirmed "by the mouths of two or three witnesses", and there is no reason why one of those "witnesses" should not be a "fleece." We just have to be careful that the "fleece" is something totally neutral to the thing we are seeking confirmation about.

blessings,

Lynn



Indeed
And the “fleece” should be something that only God is in control of and not something that satan would be able to get his hands into.

Satan just loves to masquerade as an angel of light and give us the wrong answers.
 
Another example would be Abraham's servant when he went to find a wife for Isaac. The story is in Genesis 24. So that he would know the girl that the Lord had chosen, he said "May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels, too,' - let her be the one You have chosen for Your servant Isaac." (verse 14). This is exactly how it happened.

In the New Covenant, our guidance is supposed to come from the Holy Spirit, Who lives within us. We should never base a decision primarily on the outcome of a "fleece". However, because we sometimes don't hear as clearly as we should - and because some of us are very prone to "second guessing" ourselves - I don't think the Lord has a problem with us seeking confirmation. The Word does say that everything should be confirmed "by the mouths of two or three witnesses", and there is no reason why one of those "witnesses" should not be a "fleece." We just have to be careful that the "fleece" is something totally neutral to the thing we are seeking confirmation about.

blessings,

Lynn


:goodpost::goodpost::goodpost:

Excellent example and I forgot about that example .

I would tell you that in my life I have said Lord , I will stay untill such and such happens and if it does , I will not be able to stay . For that very promise and I don't think it was a fleece .... the Lord honoured me and provided a way of escape .

If we are faithful and honest , He will also reward us with His faithfulness.
 
Faithwoman .... Thank you for your awesome testimony . Continue your journey with the Lord in control and you will never go amiss. You are loved and our Heavenly Father sees your heart for Him and He will never leave you nor forsake you .

God Bless.
 
First off, I do not believe that a "fleece" is in any way a sin or a way to "tempt" or "test" God! It does however depend on your heart! If the motive is to "get" God to do what we want Him to do then we are setting ourselves up for a lot of problems! If, however, the motive is to truly hear from God on a particular subject and we want His response to be very clear to us, a fleece is actually a good thing as our heart is truly seeking to know and do the right thing! Also, I believe that fleeces get less and less active in our Christian life as we continue to grow and develop our listening ear towards the Lord. As a new believe in Christ, I actually think fleeces are a very good idea as long as we keep our hearts pure before the Lord, without our own agenda and we are willing to heed the answer we get from the Lord. Here's an example of a fleece in my own life:

When my husband and I met, he was 36 years old and he wanted and was ready for a wife and a family. He noticed me and was immediately drawn to me however there were a lot of things that the Lord was doing in him at the time and he truly wanted to do the right thing instead of being led his emotions. So, on a Sunday before church when he was jogging in the park and was completely alone he prayed this particular prayer: "Lord, I like this girl. I want to get married and have a family but I do not want to be another divorce statistic and I want the person you have for me not someone I think is right! So, if this is the girl for me, please have someone introduce her to me today and I will invite her to lunch and we'll go from there." That day someone introduced us before the service started. I will not give you all the details because it would way to long, but suffices to say he did take me to lunch and exactly 7 weeks from that gate we were married (met on Oct.13th were married on Dec. 7th same year!). We've been married 12 years.

And here's another fleece for you! My husband is not an emotional man, and he truly wanted to do God's will so 2 weeks before our wedding date he again prayed a very specific prayer. He was alone in his office and prayed this: "Lord, I believe it is your will for me to marry Laura, however, I want to make absolutely sure. So, show me something in your word to confirm this is the right decision". He opened the bible and his eyes fell on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (New Living Translation)

9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.


He took the 3rd person to be Jesus Himself, which I also believe it is what the bible is saying! He told me when we had been married about 2 months about this prayer and the answer. I was very happy and proud of him for doing it!


My point is, fleeces are right and helpful, as long as our hearts are pure before the Lord and we're not seeking our own agendas. There were many people who scoffed at our story as well as made comments about how it will never last! I guess they were wrong:)...


Laura:)
 
Awesome stories of how God works.
When I look back at all of it, what we both were seeking was the truth.
I had known for a long time things just were not right.

The truth was in front of us both the whole time.
Some of the truths:
We both struggled with our finances
We both had sexual sin going on in our life
We both had problems with having faith in God
There is a long list of truths.

The biggest truth is that neither one of us was 100% whole in Christ.
This is what we both need in order to even think about totally loving someone else. We both have alot to learn of what God truly wants for us.
I am thankful for what God has done in both of our lives in this relationship. He has kept showing and helping us clean the muck out.
God has got to be number one in both our lives.

It truly is about learning how God speaks to us. He is there , right this minute as I type this.

May we all continue to learn how God speaks to us.

Faithwoman
 
Amen .... Faithwoman...

May Jesus Christ be first and formost in all of our lives that we may know His will for us and grow in the love of Jesus Christ our Saviour
 
Was he testing God or was he wanting to get things right?

Was the second sign greater than the first? How did the second sign prove it was God any more than the first? I believe God chose to put up with the testing for the greater good of the people whom He wanted to save from the Midianites.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
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