A Bowlful of Blessings

“…‘look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor.  If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save…’ And that is what happened.  Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew – a bowlful of water” Judges 6:37-38.

I have stated many times that I am repeatedly blessed by the commentaries of my Bible Study.  This morning was no different as I learned the beautiful symbolism of dew from heaven.  ‘Throughout Scripture, dew is used as a sign of divine grace and favor.  Dew is frequently a symbol of a special endowment in God’s kindness and approval expressed to His people.  Like dew, grace is a surprising gift that cannot be handmade or manufactured.  God extends it to humanity as a miracle from on high.’ Gideon, p. 109.  Well no wonder my grandfather was named Dewey.  He was a minister and walked in God’s favor until his final breath.  He was such an amazing man of God...truly a special endowment from God.

This made me consider this passage in a completely different way.  The passage states that the soaked fleece was lying on dry ground.  How thirsty that ground beneath must have been.  How similar is this when we as Christians follow Jesus.  When we walk in the Spirit of God we become drenched with His favor and grace while those around us are thirsty and empty.  As we move about our day filled with His living waters He throws us out among the people who have a parched heart.  We are to wring ourselves out and share His grace and favor among those whose hearts are broken and need comforting.

It is no accident that we are placed in the lives of others who are hurting.  God’s throwing out the fleece is His way of allowing the living waters that He places within us to flow into another.  Our hearts cannot be barriers of this flow or we may find ourselves becoming less saturated with His kindness and approval.  There will be seasons where we find ourselves parched and thirsty for His comfort due to our own challenging times.  Faithfully, He throws out the fleece for us…those people drenched with His favor and kindness placed just in the right situation for the blessings. 

Either way…we have a bowlful of blessings.