When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon he called him a mighty man of valor. The Lord certainly has a sense of humor for Gideon was hiding from the enemy. But God was looking at Gideon's potential, what he could be. Gideon’s was weak and filled with fear and doubt. His faith needed a boost. God was very patient and accommodated Gideon with a series of signs designed to increase his faith so he would know that the Lord was with him. Gideon already knew what God was saying, he just was afraid to do it. God did not chastise him, but met him on his level. He did not expect him to be other than he was. If Gideon had strength and courage in his own abilities, he would have no need for God.
God doesn't just see us as we are, he sees what we can be when we yield to Him for then He is able to work in us. He will meet us on our level if we have real doubts and are genuinely afraid. He may be willing to allow us to lay out a fleece, to seek a sign when the decision is tough and our fear is great. But demanding a sign is not our first option. Often we do it just to get God to approve what we have already decided or enable us to make the one right choice when we really have not weighed the options. We must use our God-given wisdom to figure out a course of action. He gives us the will and wisdom to make good decisions, to rationally figure things out. We must weigh the pros and cons and accept the fact that very often there is more than one right option among the choices we may face.
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