Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read Judges 6:36 – 7:8a.
Most of us don’t take things at face value. We need proof, or some sort of verification. As President Reagan famously said in the 1980s about an arms control treaty, “Trust but verify.” Anyone who’s ever been on a construction worksite or a Habitat building project has heard or said, “Measure twice, cut once.” Doublechecking our work and our agreements is a good habit to have. But it is also true that the life of faith also requires some trust and some vulnerability. Gideon struggled to find that balance. He trusted in God, but also just wanted to be sure (Judges 6:36) that God meant what God said. It was a unique test , involving a wool fleece, but it was one that God easily passed. And then Gideon asks God to pass the test one more time! The scripture records that after those tests Gideon believed God was with him and his army. Gideon’s story is a reminder for us as we struggle with our own conflicts and worries. We don’t have to test God - or pull out a wool fleece. God is there for us at all times.
One of my favorite hymns is “Trust and Obey” (UMH 467). It opens with the wonderful line, “When we walk with the Lord, in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way.” May we do the same.
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