Reading the Signs

We’ve seen that God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. And we can rely on that because that’s our bedrock; our foundation. 

We’ve seen that God speaks to us as we spend time in prayer and in thought, quietly being with Him. And we’ve seen that He speaks through anointed, inspired preaching and teaching. 

What we’re looking at today is signs.

It turns out that God speaks to us through signs as well. And one of the things that we’re taught in His Word is to read the signs: 

“Jesus also said to the crowds, 'When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, "It is going to rain"; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, "There will be scorching heat"; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?'” (Luke 12:54-56)

Jesus was talking about the fact that they had the Son of God right there in front of them; but they just didn’t get it. He was the sign, and they couldn’t read it. 

So, let’s ask ourselves – what is a sign? What is its purpose? Well, a sign tells us something important that we need to know: where to go, what to do, what not to do. And in the Bible, signs – be they miraculous or mundane – tell us about God, what He’s doing, what He’s up to, and how we should respond.

God gives us signs in our lives, too, but so often we miss them or misinterpret them. 

So am I advocating reading tea leaves? No, no! I’m saying you and I need to look at all the things going on around us through God’s eyes. 

It’s a process of learning to discern what God is saying and when it’s Him talking versus when it’s our flesh. Just remember: God never contradicts Himself. That’s why we can be absolutely certain that anything that contradicts God’s Word hasn’t come from Him.

Today, I really encourage you to get still before God, think about the different things going on in your life and ask Him what He’s trying to say to you. Ask Him for His wisdom, insight, and guidance. 

Ask Him to point out His signs to you. He never holds back.

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS

• Have you ever been driving down the road and seen an urgent street sign… and decided to ignore it? Why/why not?
• Have you ever done the same thing when God has tried to get your attention? Whizzed right by His signs and either missed them entirely or ignored them? What was the result?
• Set aside some time with God today, as much as you can, to think about what’s going on in your life and ask Him what He’s trying to say to you. Ask Him for His wisdom, insight, and guidance. What’s He saying?
• Jot down some thoughts that come to you about how God might be trying to get your attention in a particular situation. Keep your notes with you as you read God’s Word. Ask Him to lead you into a new understanding, through the power of His Spirit.