"Lord, If You Will Do This Thing, Then..."

Have you ever noticed the wide variety of reactions recorded in the Bible when God called people to follow Him?  Examples range from Moses, who came up with every possible excuse to try to convince God to send someone else; to Matthew, who immediately left everything behind as soon as Jesus said the words "Follow Me"; and every possible reaction in between.

Recently, I've decided that I'm a lot like Gideon in that respect.

When God first called Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites, he first protested that he wasn't qualified (Judges 6:15).  God assured Gideon that he didn't have to be qualified, because He was going to be with him (v. 16).  Gideon then asked for a sign as proof that it was truly God who was speaking to him (v.17).  God did so (v. 19-23).  The next time God spoke to Gideon, he did as he was commanded; although, he did it at night because he was afraid (Judges 6:25-27).  As the account continues, Gideon again asks God for a sign as proof that God was still going to do as He had said (Judges 6:36-38).  The next day, possibly realizing that the ground would naturally dry faster than the fleece, he asked for another (v. 39-40).  Then, just before the battle, God told Gideon that, if he was still afraid, to spy on the Midianite camp for another reassurance (Judges 7:9-14).  Afterwards, Gideon followed through with what God had told him to do (v. 15-25).

In other words, "God, I will go wherever and do whatever You want me to do, but I want to be 120 percent certain that it truly is what You want me to do.  I don't want to have any doubts that I am making the right decision."

I am so thankful for God's patience.  I am glad He included so many examples of different types of people in the Bible.  Most of all, I am grateful that He knows my heart.  He used Moses despite his protests (Exodus 3-4).  He used Matthew, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who all left their jobs without hesitation when they were called (Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9).  He used Jeremiah, who claimed that he was too young (Jeremiah 1:4-10).  He used Isaiah, who immediately volunteered when God asked whom He should send (Isaiah 6:8).  He used Paul despite his tainted past (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). He used Elisha, whose only request was the chance to say goodbye to his family and burn the bridge behind him (1 Kings 19:19-21). And He used Gideon, who needed multiple confirmations that he was following the correct path.