March 8th

March 8th -- Judges 6  (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%206&version=NLT)

Gideon becomes Israel's judge and also asks for a sign.

So the Israelites start sinning again, and God gives them over to the Midianites for seven years as punishment. It's horrible, and they finally cry out to God. God sends along a prophet to speak for Him, reminding them of all the things He did for them, and yet they still worshipped false gods.

An angel comes along then, and sees Gideon, telling him God is with him. Gideon asks why this awful stuff is happening if God is with them. God tells Gideon he will rescue Israel, now. Gideon says if He's speaking the truth to wait so that Gideon can make a sacrifice. When he does, he gives it to the angel, who taps it with a staff. This causes fire to rise up and consume it, then the angel vanishes. Gideon then thinks he is doomed for having seen an angel, but God tells him not to worry, so Gideon built an altar there.

God speaks to Gideon in the night and says to take a bull, go and pull down Baal's altar and cut the Asherah pole, then build an altar to God there instead and sacrifice the bull with the pole's wood as fuel. The next morning people find out and are horrified. They realize it was Gideon, and demand he be brought out  to die. Joash (Gideon's father), though, asks they mob why they defend Baal, saying if he really is a god, he will defend himself.

After this, a bunch of armies form an alliance against Israel. The Lord's spirit took possession of Gideon, who summons together many armies. Gideon asks for a sign, though. He puts fleece on the ground and says if God is really going to rescue them, that in the morning the fleece will be wet, but the ground dry. It is so. He asks for one more, asking God not to be angry, and saying this time he wants the ground to be wet and the fleece to be dry. It is so.
I like this story, even if it's mostly just for the fleece signs. I find it comforting that God  DOES sometimes give undeniably clear, miraculous signs. I mean, I doubt He just gives them out all the time, especially in everday life, because He wants us to trust in Him, not regard on signs and try and do it ourselves. However, it's still reassuring to see He does still give some.

Well, that'll be all. God bless! Shalom!