Last night, Patti picked up her mom from the Nashville airport and stayed at a hotel near the airport. Mema used a confirmation code to board her plane. Patti used a confirmation number to access her reservation at the hotel. Confirmation codes are a common part of life. We trust those numbers and letters like a promise from a trusted friend. We don’t keep returning to the website, travel agent, or clerk to get a new confirmation – we expect the business or airline to follow through.
Do you have more faith in a hotel confirmation code than the peaceful assurance of your loving Heavenly Father? By your actions, do you ever testify to more faith in a human guarantee than a Divine direction upon your life? Do you feel compelled to seek confirmation for something He places upon your heart?
Or – be honest – do you seek confirmation of your confirmation? Again and again and . . .
You are not alone. God’s clearly called Gideon, yet Gideon’s insecurity spurred him to ask for confirmation after confirmation. As you reread Judges chapter six and seven notice how Gideon needed confirmation:
- Gideon requests, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.” (Judges 6:17 NLT)
- Gideon repeatedly uses a fleece, asking again “If you will save” (Judges 6:36-40).
- God gives opportunity for yet another confirmation if Gideon is still afraid to attack, and Gideon grabs it (Judges 7:9-15).
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God patiently bolstered Gideon because He wanted his people freed from oppression. But, is it proper to for a person to pray again and again, “Lord, give me a another confirmation”?
Consider the importance of obedience!
#1 Your obedience is proof of your faith in God.
Obedience corroborates you really trust God. If the reason you are asking for another confirmation is a delay tactic, realize that delayed obedience is disobedience. You don’t need to lay out another fleece for something you know-in-your-knower you are do.
Seeking confirmation after confirmation cannot be a substitute for obedience. God knows your heart. If your motive in seeking another confirmation is to let the moment pass without having to respond to God’s call, you insult God’s intelligence. Repent! He responds to honest pursuit but is displeased by hypocritical prayers.
#2 Your obedience will likely tackle needs you can address right in front of you.
- “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.” (Proverbs 3:27 NLT)
- “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:10 NLT)
#3 Your obedience is not linked to other people’s opinions.
Don’t wait for the world around you to ask you to do what God has asked you to do. Gideon’s first steps toward full obedience were done in the dark because he feared his family. The early apostles proclaimed, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29 NIV) You should never allow fear of humans to hinder you from obeying God. If you keep doing what’s right, what’s wrong and who’s wrong will eventually leave your life.
#4 Your obedience opens the door for many others to be blessed.
God delivered Israel using the weak hands of Gideon. God emphasized that deliverance was from His hand by limiting Gideon’s army. Do you recognize God wants to deliver people today? “There’s no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when He sets His mind to it.” (1 Samuel 14:6 MSG) Your obedient action may change the destiny of thousands! Accomplish what He places upon your heart!
Thankfully, God does confirm His leading in many ways. Three important means of confirmation are God’s Word, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the peace of God. You can expect God to confirm His leading when you are insecure about the time, direction, or strategy, but never allow seeking confirmation to stall your obedience.
