A summary of Vocational Video 8.10 with reflections from Friar Volantino Verde
Throughout history, and even today, we see a pattern where people are distanced from God because of their sins. We fall into suffering; we pray; God helps us; then we forget…so we suffer, then we pray, and God helps us again. This is what is happening at the time of Gideon in chapter 6 of the book of Judges. The people of Israel have distanced themselves from the Lord, so they are suffering at the hands of the Midianites who are ravaging the land.
An angel of God comes to Gideon, a simple man reaping grain, and tells him God will give him the strength to free the people of Israel from the hands of the Midianites. But Gideon asks, “Lord, if it is truly you who is speaking to me, let this woolen fleece I am putting on the ground be full of morning dew, while the ground stays dry.” The next morning, he wrings out a cupful of water from the fleece, but the ground is dry.
Gideon continues: “Forgive me, Lord, and do not be angry with me . Give me another sign.” He then asks for the opposite of what he asked the day before: “If the dew is on the ground instead of on the fleece , I will know that it is you who speak to me.” The next morning, this is exactly what happens, and Gideon takes courage and begins to prepare for battle.
Asking for signs like this is not tempting God; it is even written in the book of the prophet Isaiah, “Is it not enough for you to weary my God? God himself will give you a sign” (cf. Is 7:13-14).
So, we need to search for signs from God with the same method that the word of God teaches us. The important thing is to be sincere with God and to search for His Will; otherwise we will not understand the Will of God.
It’s not as though Jesus will show up to our house in person and explain the will of God to us – we need to be the ones who pray and search for it ourselves, following the signs that He gives us in order to carry out His will!
Watch the full video to hear about the other signs that
God gave to Gideon:
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