Gideon has earned himself an unfavorable reputation among Christians due to his repeated requests of God for signs. One idea was leaving out a fleece overnight and seeing if it became wet with dew, an indication of His support and guidance.
Though it is perfectly appropriate to ask God for signs, we should also pray for wisdom so we can interpret what He already sends our way.
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What is a sign?
Signs are objects or events which represent another entity to communicate information to someone receiving it. They could be physical objects (like thunderbolts or medical symptoms) or ideas. A symbol is one form of sign, while semiotics is the science that explores signs.
Under classical and Hellenistic theories of signs, a sign is defined as an object that connects certain ideas (an interpretant) to some other ones (its object), creating a correlation. This second relation differentiates a sign from a random idea – rather, this relationship should not be understood as causal but as one between infinite possible series.
A sign serves as a medium for communicating a form, and its suitability for this function rests upon whether or not it produces its effect in its interpretant without itself becoming affected by what it represents; hence acting like an agent rather than being directly affected by what it stands for – something modern theories of signs make clear.
Note that even though a sign produces an effect in an interpretant, that does not guarantee its continued manifestation; even though it might begin producing said effect, there’s no certainty it will do so successfully.
Logically speaking, signs don’t require objects in order to perform their purpose as signs. All that’s necessary for effective signification is some thought and idea to translate to correspondence with objects; but its existence must serve as the medium for communication purposes.
Why do we need a sign?
Some people pray to God asking Him for signs about what to do next in their lives. While praying for this sign may not seem harmful, it’s essential that they understand exactly what their prayers entail – when asking for such supernatural signs it tells Him you don’t want responsibility to manage what He has given you and condemns such sign-seeking as sinful behavior.
Some individuals also seek signs to justify their unbelief, like some Pharisees during Jesus’ day who wanted a sign from heaven like Elijah calling down fire or Isaiah reversing its course, which were used as tests by their leaders against Him and showed they didn’t believe He was God’s son. Jesus rebuked these Pharisees because their request showed they didn’t accept Him as their Saviour.
God often gave signs and miracles as encouragement for someone to act: in Moses’ case it was to confront Pharoah; Gideon faced off against Midianites; while for Jesus it inspired faith and action. These are the purposes of signs and miracles: encouraging, inciting, or initiating response from an audience member.
So if you’re praying for a sign, make sure that you know exactly which kind of sign you’re asking for. Instead, seek to gain wisdom and insight in understanding any current signs sent your way rather than waiting for something fresh to appear from above.
How do we know if we have received a sign?
When it comes to receiving signs from the universe, two important considerations must be kept in mind. First of all, be open and willing to receive guidance; trust your intuition; secondly, become familiar with what signs look like – they may include anything from numbers on a clock to words or phrases popping into your mind repeatedly or even unexpected coincidences that feel significant for you.
Sometimes the universe will give us warning signs that we’re on an unwise path, such as physical sensations like gooseflesh pricking at the back of your neck or feelings of nausea. When these warnings arise, we must act upon them quickly by writing about it in our journals or speaking about them with someone we trust.
Remember, not every sign from the universe should be seen as a message from it; after a while you might begin ignoring them or think they’re no longer signs.
How do we interpret a sign?
Signs have two main interpretations. First, they can provide insight into which biblical principle God wants you to apply. For instance, if you ask Him whether or not you should date someone and they happen to be Christians – that could be an indicator that He wants you to date them (provided this action falls within 2 Corinthians 6:14’s guidelines).
Second, signs can also provide insight into what effects something will have. This is particularly true with natural signs like lightning, thunder, and rain; when seeing storm clouds approaching it’s often best to seek shelter because the lightning and thunder signals indicate heavy rainfall is on its way.
Sometimes it can be challenging to know if something is an indication from God. For instance, if a motif keeps popping up in your dreams it may be God directing your attention somewhere specific or an old acquaintance coming back again and again could be God inviting you back together again.
As is often the case, these events could also be mere coincidence. Therefore, you should carefully assess all available evidence before concluding whether it represents a sign from God.
Remember that God is sovereign over everything that occurs; therefore if you ask Him for guidance but no sign appears don’t worry: He knows exactly what He’s doing and can provide wisdom for understanding this matter if asked directly for wisdom.
God used signs throughout Scripture to communicate with His people, such as Gideon in Judges 6. When asking God for a sign, Gideon put out his fleece in front of a nearby tree and asked for dewdrops to land there instead of on dry earth; God granted this wish, showing Gideon He was with him and would protect against Midianites.
