Gideons Fleece

[Sea_musing]

I am new to Catholicism and Christianity. On another website I saw a “discussion” about laying down a fleece being a good way to seek God’s will or wrong because it shows lack of faith. I admit I had to google search just to see what they were talking about, read about Gideons fleece, but still uncertain.

I’m more curious about this than anything. What is the churchs stance on this? What has been your experience?

Thanks,

Kellie

 

[MarcoPolo]

Hi, and welcome! I have never heard of it. Can you describe what is involved?

 

[thistle]

I am new to Catholicism and Christianity. On another website I saw a “discussion” about laying down a fleece being a good way to seek God’s will or wrong because it shows lack of faith. I admit I had to google search just to see what they were talking about, read about Gideons fleece, but still uncertain.

I’m more curious about this than anything. What is the churchs stance on this? What has been your experience?

Thanks,

Kellie

I too have never heard of this.

 

[LilyM]

It refers to the OT story of Gideon. God gave him a message to go fight the Midianites. But he asked for a sign first - that if he put a fleece on the ground overnight it would become wet but the ground would stay dry. He did this and it happened as he had asked.

Then he wanted a second sign. This time he asked that the ground be wet but the fleece stay dry. He also received this second sign as he had asked.

But God seems to have had no problem with giving the signs

 

[mercytruth]

It refers to the OT story of Gideon. God gave him a message to go fight the Midianites. But he asked for a sign first - that if he put a fleece on the ground overnight it would become wet but the ground would stay dry. He did this and it happened as he had asked.

Then he wanted a second sign. This time he asked that the ground be wet but the fleece stay dry. He also received this second sign as he had asked.

But God seems to have had no problem with giving the signs

This is correct. I know someone who asked God for this **once **after he thought he received a directive from God that was out of the ordinary. It was confirmed within 24 hrs in a most remarkable way.

About 20 yeas later, a woman brought a real fleece of a lamb to a Catholic bible study that he was attending, and said to him that the Lord told her to give this fleece to him. Apparently, this woman had no idea of his past fleece request. (l have seen the fleece).

He told me that he is still waiting to follow through on the directive, but God will set up the conditions and time for him to obey. (Although he said something cryptic, ‘he said that if I do not have the love of God in my heart, my efforts will be in vain’)

After reading St. John of the Cross, and Teresa of Avila, I am not so sure that we should be asking for these type of signs.

God’s peace

Micah

 

[holyrood]

Thank you for asking this question.

This is one of those areas where I feel there is conflicting advice: the story of the fleece in which God apparently is happy to be asked and give signs, and words elsewhere to the effect of do not ask for signs and wonders.

I’m hardly enough of a scholar to know where those words are or where the balance is between these two, and look forward to hearing from others about it.

 

[thistle]

This is correct. I know someone who asked God for this **once **after he thought he received a directive from God that was out of the ordinary. It was confirmed within 24 hrs in a most remarkable way.

About 20 yeas later, a woman brought a real fleece of a lamb to a Catholic bible study that he was attending, and said to him that the Lord told her to give this fleece to him. Apparently, this woman had no idea of his past fleece request. (l have seen the fleece).

He told me that he is still waiting to follow through on the directive, but God will set up the conditions and time for him to obey. (Although he said something cryptic, ‘he said that if I do not have the love of God in my heart, my efforts will be in vain’)

After reading St. John of the Cross, and Teresa of Avila, I am not so sure that we should be asking for these type of signs.

God’s peace

Micah

Sounds a lot like superstition to me.

 

[mercytruth]

Sounds a lot like superstition to me.

Superstitious? No. Delusional? Possibly. The man is not superstitious as far as I know, but he does lack self confidence, or courage much like Gideon.

So, I wonder if it is not necessary for God to sometimes grant signs to individuals who lack self-confidence in order to encourage them to do what God is asking them to do. Much like Moses, or Gideon. A problem arises when such individuals are also suffering from some sort of mental disturbance, at which point, their perceptions may be delusional.

God’s peace

Micah