Judges 6:36-40: a reflection

36Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken, 37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I’ll know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.” 38It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40God did so that night; for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Gideon, called by God to save Israel, is fearful and unsure, and he asks God for a sign to confirm the call: he will put out a fleece of wool, and asks God to make it wet with dew while the ground stays dry. God does it. And then Gideon, still unsure, asks for the reverse, the fleece dry and the ground wet, apologizing for asking again. And God patiently does that too. God does not rebuke Gideon's hesitant, fearful faith, but graciously accommodates his need for reassurance.

Notice God's patience with Gideon's weak and hesitant faith. Gideon was fearful, unsure, needing reassurance, even asking twice, apologetically. God could have rebuked him for not simply trusting the word already given; but instead he gently accommodated Gideon's weakness, giving the reassurance he needed. God dealt tenderly with a hesitant, fearful believer, meeting him in his weakness rather than despising it. His patience with Gideon's faltering faith was gracious and kind.

That gentleness of God with weak faith is a comfort to us who are often hesitant and fearful ourselves. We can be like Gideon, unsure, needing reassurance, our faith weak and faltering; and we can fear that God is impatient with such weakness. But God dealt gently with Gideon, accommodating his need for reassurance rather than despising it. When your faith is weak and hesitant, and you need reassurance, do not think God is impatient with you; he was gentle with Gideon's faltering faith. Bring your weak and fearful faith to God, who is patient with the hesitant, and does not despise a faith that is weak but real. This is not a license to demand signs presumptuously; but it is a comfort that God is gentle with genuine weakness. He met Gideon in his hesitancy; trust that he is gentle with yours, and bring him your weak faith, that he may strengthen it.

Lord, Gideon, called to save Israel but fearful and unsure, asked you for a sign to confirm the call, and then asked again, apologetically; and you patiently accommodated his hesitant faith, giving the reassurance he needed rather than rebuking him. Comfort me with that gentleness toward weak faith, for I am often hesitant and fearful myself. I can be like Gideon, unsure, needing reassurance, my faith weak and faltering; and I can fear that you are impatient with such weakness. But you dealt gently with Gideon, accommodating his need for reassurance rather than despising it. When my faith is weak and hesitant, and I need reassurance, keep me from thinking you are impatient with me; you were gentle with Gideon's faltering faith. Help me bring my weak and fearful faith to you, who are patient with the hesitant, and do not despise a faith that is weak but real. Keep me from demanding signs presumptuously; but let me be comforted that you are gentle with genuine weakness. You met Gideon in his hesitancy; help me trust that you are gentle with mine, and bring you my weak faith, that you may strengthen it. Be patient with my faltering faith, Lord, and strengthen it.