Read It, Learn It,
Live It, Share It
"Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” - Isaiah 7:11
I have often times heard the cliché` -
"God if you're real, just give me a sign." I've thought it myself, at
times when I've felt completely helpless or desperate in a situation. There’s
comfort in the physical evidence and reassurance that God is there for me, and
that what I have learned and felt is real. I know my faith is true and my belief is unwavering,
yet my humanity steps up at times and I become overwhelmed with anxiety when
the situation is extreme or I am feeling helpless.
There are those that completely refuse to believe God is real without some physical proof, a sign if you will. Jesus himself stated in John 20:29 "...blessed are those that believe and have not seen." which also means there are those that do not believe because they have not seen. In our life of hurry up and wait, we are constantly bombarded with the commonality of circumstances. Miracles (signs) happen every day and are pushed aside as coincidence or science. There are so many stories of people who have been miraculously healed from a terminal disease, or were seconds away from a deadly crash because they lost their keys before they left home. How many people have told of their experience of not being on a plane when it crashed, or how 155 people walk away from the crash of USAIR 1549 nearly four years ago. Is the life of those individuals forever changed? One would think that they stepped off that plane having survived and praised God for His mercy and grace. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Some stepped off thinking they were lucky or their karma was just right. Face it, there are some people who just don't want to believe in God and are not going to accept the signs He gives us every day.
In today's verse we find Isaiah prophesying
to King Ahaz to ask God for a sign of unfathomable proportion. For whatever
Ahaz would have asked for, God was prepared to provide the sign to put aside
any doubt, even a sign that was greater than the highest heaven or the deepest
hell. King Ahaz refused to ask God for a sign, for fear of putting God to the
test. Isaiah then chastises Ahaz for his refusal, and delivers the prophecy from
the Lord in v. 14 anyway: "Behold,
the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name
Immanuel." The ultimate sign God could have given. He himself would come down to earth and walk
amongst His people.
You are surrounded by God’s handiwork every day. Be observant of those little miracles and signs around you. Thank God when He shows Himself in situations, circumstances and events. God loves you, and do not allow your faith to be diminished in those times of humanity when you can’t see Him, because of the obstacles before you. Trust that He is right by your side, and will guide you every step of the way. Just remember, the greatest sign of all times was a baby born in a manger.
You are surrounded by God’s handiwork every day. Be observant of those little miracles and signs around you. Thank God when He shows Himself in situations, circumstances and events. God loves you, and do not allow your faith to be diminished in those times of humanity when you can’t see Him, because of the obstacles before you. Trust that He is right by your side, and will guide you every step of the way. Just remember, the greatest sign of all times was a baby born in a manger.
For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com
No comments:
Post a Comment