A sign for you
This is a new year! Do you know which direction your career is going? Are you trying to predict the stock or housing market? Are you looking for signs to help you make better decisions in 2022?
Do you ever ask God for a sign? Do you ever go to church looking for a word from God? Have you ever been to meetings hoping for a miracle? I have. Have you ever fasted with a deep desire for direction in your life, only to end up hungry and disappointed? I have.
The Bible tells many stories about people who sought signs from God to help them navigate life’s trials. Gideon asked for a sign: “Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.’” (Judges 6:39, NIV) In fact, God loves to give signs: “‘It will be a sign between Me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31:17, NIV)
There’s a hilarious scene in the movie Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carrey, that illustrates our universal human desire for a sign from God. You may recall that Carrey had been endowed with divine power, but he was still frustrated. So he cried out to God for a sign but missed several very clear ones and eventually ran into a truck carrying signs. I can certainly relate. How about you?
We’ve just celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. I hope and pray it was a meaningful week for you as a sign from heaven: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The birth of Jesus the Christ in a manger is a sign to the whole world, but so many missed it. Most Romans missed the sign. Most Jews missed the sign. The innkeeper missed the sign. But this humiliating setback for the little family was a sign for the young shepherds. They didn’t miss it! “‘This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:12, NIV)
friend, signs come in many forms. Even your setbacks may be blessings in disguise because you are a miracle. I love you a ton!
