Gideon's Fleece; Discerning God's Will For Your Life (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

This book details the need for, and the manner to, use tests or proofs to determine God’s will for your life. In the Lord’s Prayer we state that we want his will to be done in our lives just as his will is followed in heaven. This is a high standard. Just as Gideon used a sheep’s fleece to provide proof of God’s will, so too can we use tests to gain insight into God’s plan for us.For Western culture, there seems to be a significant conflict between the cultural message of independence and self-determination and the prayer that God’s will should rule. Hidden in each of us is both the seed of independence and the desire to be an integral part of a bigger community. A Gideon’s Fleece is a way to set up a test to determine which way we should head when at a crossroads. Part of the value in such a test is that it allows God to communicate with us. From the time he walked with Adam and Eve through the time he sent the Holy Spirit, God has desired an active, communicative relationship with his people. Our modern, logic based mental framework acts as a veil that limits our ability to be children of faith. It also provides an opportunity to put our faith into action. These tests are not passive, but instead recognize that the role we fill and that which God fills are different and actively create a partnership with him. In testing for his will, we are actively searching for God’s plan, actively planning for obedience, and, once the test is followed, actively pursuing his will. Faith with works is not dead.There are many examples in the Bible of men and women actively searching for God’s will. For us, the story of Gideon is particularly important as he struggled with both the acceptance of knowing God’s will and of the application of that will in his life. Gideon stands as a very contemporary figure whose story resonates with anyone who professes to want God’s will for their life, but who also fights with the drive of their own desires. His story, as well as not being terribly complementary, also raises some important cautions.First, the Bible clearly states that we are not to test God. Gideon’s Fleeces, however, are not a test against God. Instead, they are a test against us. In our weakness, we lack discernment. In times when we see multiple paths but have not the discernment to know which is that God has set for us, we can use tests to determine which of those paths is right. God remains God. A Gideon’s Fleece is a way to recognize his majesty and a request for him to meet us at our level.Second, there are right and wrong ways to set up these tests. The attitude of the heart, the certainty of a clear answer, and the need for sound process are all necessary safeguards. In addition, there are limitations such as the need for the test to be for yourself rather than for your interest into someone else’s life.Finally, there is the need for completion. Once the results of a test are known, there is a call for you to respond. The role you play in the process is not done until you decide upon that response. A faithful response is profound. A rejection of the result is a usurpation of wills.Once the process of using and following Gideon’s Fleeces is known, the applications are numerous. They are not only useful in your own life, but can be used in Christian corporate settings such as a church, and can be used as witnessing. And in witnessing, they can also be dynamic tools in the raising of children.Gideon’s Fleeces will also reinforce basic faith and behavior in your life and will keep a freshness in your Christian walk. The renewed relationship with God will provide a much more profound sense of purpose and with that purpose, peace. In addition, the blessings that come from being clearly aligned with God’s will are typically much richer than we could have seen before hand. This is a timely book. As at every moment in history, now is the time to rise and claim with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.