Question:  What is the proper perspective on putting out a fleece?

Answer:   That is a great question, because it gets the heart of God’s will and how we can know what He wants for us.  The “fleece” you are referring to is found in Judges 6, where Gideon wanted to know what to do, so he “tested” God by putting out a fleece.  Even though God did what Gideon asked, Gideon asked for a second sign, and God answered again.

This story, while interesting, doesn’t exactly give us a pattern for discovering God’s will.  Gideon’s intentions were pure, but the fact that he tested God not once, but twice, shows that he lacked faith.  God was gracious to him, but that doesn’t mean we should use the same methods.

Thankfully, we have two things as Christians today that Gideon didn’t have:  the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.  The Bible gives us God’s guidelines for living a life that pleases Him (2 Timothy 3:16).  What that means is that the Bible is reliable and authoritative in every area where it speaks.  The key thing here is that we need to know what the Bible says so it will be useful in our lives.  An unread Bible doesn’t do any good.

Now, the Bible doesn’t speak to every situation you encounter in the course of your life.  For example, the Bible isn’t going to tell you whether or not you should take that new job.  That’s where the second advantage we have over Gideon comes into play.  We have the Holy Spirit, who is Christ in us, guiding us into truth.  When faced with a decision, we need to pray and seek God’s wisdom.  The Bible says that when we do, the Holy Spirit will guide us.

In addition to knowing the Scriptures and asking for God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit, we also need to seek the wise counsel of other mature Christians.  When faced with a big decision, it’s always a good idea to talk with people who love the Lord and have your best interest in mind.  Get their opinion.  The wise counsel of godly people can be very helpful.

In the end, the decision is yours to make, but a wise person will rely on these God-given resources to make a good decision, one that pleases God and is good for you.