R.C. Sproul

Couldn't come to a conclusion as to where he should be, and he happened to be deer hunting.

And he was sitting in a tree stand, just like I was.

And he was praying about this and still couldn't make up his mind.

And finally, he put out a fleece.

He decided to put God to the test.

And he said, Dear God, if you want me to go to Wisconsin, let a buck come into my view in the next five minutes.

Sure enough, three minutes later, out of the thicket walked this magnificent buck.

And my doctor friend was thrilled that God had so marvelously answered his prayer and confirmed to him that he should refuse the offer in Philadelphia and move.

to Wisconsin to continue his medical career.

Well, the end of the story is he moved to Wisconsin, and he's been there ever since.

And as I was in my tree stand thinking about this, I thought, what a remarkable thing that this man's entire career, his life and the life of his family

were radically changed by this fleece that he put out, which is a practice that I'm not all that comfortable with.

But he desperately was trying to understand the will of God, and he considered this event as an expression or manifestation of extraordinary providence where God was saying to him or clarifying to him what God's will was for his life.

Well, that story is somewhat dramatic and perhaps even a little bit hokey, and yet there are a few of us that haven't done that at some time or another.

In fact, as I was reflecting on this in my tree stand, I thought, I wonder if I can make a deal with God.

I'm getting awfully bored sitting up here, but no bucks came my way.

as it were, but I had an experience that was somewhat similar to that.

When I was just beginning my teaching career, I had a one-year appointment teaching philosophy at my alma mater.

This is the place where I'd become a Christian in the first place.

And I have to say to you, I loved every tree and every blade of grass on that campus.