Then the Angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Judges 6:20 NKJV

Helping my grandson put together legos is a fun activity. Now, the individual projects come with digital layouts with step by step instructions. Being old schooled, I like to look at the final picture and start building away. Not so fast. He wants to start on page 1 and find the first shape and color, in order to begin. Okay, so where is the yellow triangle and the black flat 2 X 6er?

Gideon has an encounter with an Angel of the Lord who tells him that he will deliver his people from the Midianites. Gideon asks for a sign to know that it this is a real event and that he is not dreaming. He wants to believe that God has really been talking to him and that the command is true.

Before the signs of the fleece, there is an act of worship. Gideon provides similar food preparation to the Passover feast with meat and unleavened bread to the Angel. During this time, sacrifices were offered over a fire in which the items would be consumed. When the Angel created the fire with a touch of His staff, He was clearly acknowledging the worship aspect of Gideon’s offering to Him.

  • Gideon started with worship. Don’t skip over this step. Before the fleece and the battle victory, Gideon started at this point of worship. 
    • God can speak to us at any time, but it is easier when we are making ourselves available by spending time alone with Him and seeking Him with all of our heart. Worship provides the atmosphere for God’s presence.
  • Gideon already knew the food prep required for worship and sacrifice. We are not sure how many times he had attended a feast or a sacrificial event, but it was enough that he understood what was taking place. Sacrifice and obedience had been woven into Gideon’s knowledge of “what God expects”. 
    • Teach children when they are small
    • Fulfill Deuteronomy 6 by answering questions about God to your children all along the way
    • Know how to live in harmony with this question, “what does the Lord require of thee?”
  • Gideon fulfilled his declaration. He asked the Angel to remain until he returned. He did not delay and wait until another day. He responded with immediate actions consistent to his revelation.
    • Good intentions do not equal obedience. Toooooo many times God speaks to our hearts during a worship service and we make commitments based upon the conviction that we receive. Then, we fail to walk it out. 
    • Whatever it takes to begin to make the changes, do it. If you are encouraged by writing the thought down, do it. If you are inspired to keep the commitment by sharing the thought with a friend, talk away. If you need to move to the altar and kneel at the end of the service, move forward and seal the deal.
    • Do not tarry in your act of obedience, for the cares of the world will choke out the fruitfulness of the word you received. Delayed obedience can lead to disobedience, so watch and pray.

Step 1’s are important. Become a Jesus follower. Nurture that relationship through spending time with Him and being obedient to His leading. When the “big” stuff comes, you will have already completed “step one”.

Blessings Love y’all