Decision – A choice made between alternative courses of action in a situation of uncertainty – The process of mapping
the likely consequences of your
choice, working out the importance of individual factors, and choosing the best course of action to take.
For an analytical thinker like myself, iterating through the
decision process can be both exciting and terrifying at the same time. On the one hand, it’s great to have
options. On the other hand, thinking
through the potential consequences of making the wrong choice can sometimes
have an almost paralyzing affect. And,
balancing my own cognitive reasoning with my commitment to walk by faith can
drive me to distraction if I’m not careful.
I’m at one of those points in my life right now – trying to
choose between two divergent paths, both of which have a lot of pros but also
have some major cons. I want to make the
right choice – if there is really ONE right choice. But, my decision will potentially have a
major impact not only on me but also on my family, our finances, and our
ability to move forward with some longer term dreams and visions.
So, as is often the case, I turned to the Bible to look for
some wisdom on how to walk through this process, and I landed on the story of
Gideon. After reading through Judges6 - 7, I was struck by several things. If
I wanted to put them into a pastoral three-point sermon outline, I would say
that the story of Gideon showed me that God is persistent, patient, and
powerful (see what I did there?)…
Persistent
In this story, the Israelites had done evil (again) and God
had punished them (again), but he had decided to show them grace (again) by
delivering them from the hands of their enemies. So, God chose Gideon to lead the charge. But, Gideon wasn’t so sure, and he questioned God. But, God persisted. He had chosen Gideon, and He continued to pursue
Gideon. But, Gideon continued to
question and asked God for a sign. So,
God, in His patience, gave Gideon a sign.
Patient
But, this wasn’t enough for Gideon. Again, he asked God for some reassurance that
the plan to save Israel was going to work.
He put out a fleece and said:
“If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised –
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.” 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 6:36-38)
But, that wasn’t enough for Gideon. Again, he asked God for a sign, and again,
God was persistent and patient in pursuing Gideon. Gideon said:
“Do not be angry with me (Lord). Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but
this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was
covered with dew. (Judges 6:39-40)
Powerful
At that point, Gideon was finally convinced. He went out with about 33,000 men to face the
enemy armies. But, God wasn’t quite done
with Gideon. He wanted to show Himself
powerful. So, He winnowed down Gideon’s
army until there were only 300 left.
Gideon probably felt a little unsure at this point, but if you read
Judges 7, you’ll see that the Lord let Gideon in on a little secret. Gideon overheard one of the men of the enemy
army sharing a dream which confirmed that Gideon would win the battle. At this point, Gideon finally got it:
“When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he
bowed down and worshiped. He returned to
the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up!
The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” (Judges 7:15)
And, that’s exactly what happened. God won the battle – He showed Himself
powerful – and the Israelites were finally free from the oppression of the
Midianites and lived in peace for the next 40 years.
Decisions
So, back to my original point – This story reminded me that
God understands that we need reassurance.
And, He can be infinitely patient with us as we wrestle with a major
life decision. But, at the end of the
day, He is powerful. He is bigger than
any challenge that we’re facing, and the end result – if we’re willing to
follow His leading – will always be victory.
So, I’m taking a cue from Gideon and putting out a fleece. I’m asking God to give me something tangible
that will help me to clearly understand the path that He wants me to take. I’m nervous and excited all at the same time,
because I know that ultimately I’m going to end up in the right place even
though the path is laced with uncertainty…
To be continued…
