June 26, 2004

Sign-Seekers

This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. —Luke 11:29

Bible In One Year: Job 5-7; Acts 8:1-25

A skeptic once said to me, "I'll believe in Jesus if He comes down and appears visibly above my house." Not necessarily!

The Christ-rejecting religious leaders who requested a sign from Jesus had plenty of evidence for believing. They had undoubtedly heard of, if not seen, His miracles of healing, casting out demons, and even raising the dead. What more did they need?

Jesus therefore called them an "evil generation" (Luke 11:29). The only sign they would be given was the sign of Jonah the prophet, who had been thrown into a stormy sea (Jonah 1:2-3). When the Ninevites heard Jonah's message of repentance after he had spent 3 days in the belly of a fish, they believed God had sent him and they repented.

Likewise, the religious leaders who already knew of Jesus' words and works would soon see Him crucified and securely entombed. And in the following weeks they would hear personal testimonies from those who had seen Him alive, and had even touched Him, but they still wouldn't believe.

Today we have in the Gospels a record of what Jesus said and did, written by people who knew Him. If we are open to the truth, we have all the evidence we need to believe. We don't need to be sign-seekers. —Herb Vander Lugt

If we desire to honor God,
We take Him at His Word
And ask Him not for special signs,
But trust, "Thus saith the Lord." —D. De Haan

The sign of genuine faith is faith that needs no sign.

Thank you for our Daily Bread, Rus.

" If we are open to the truth, we have all the evidence we need to believe. We don't need to be sign-seekers."

How true that is! Faith, we are told, is believing in things not visible to our human eye -- and trusting that God is present with us at all times.

He allows us free rein in going forward. When we establish a personal relationship with Him and seek His will for us, our travels are smoother.
It is up to us to make choices for ourselves, having the "road map" for our journey written down and passed through the ages.

Prayer time can be a two-way conversation with the Holy Spirit if we listen. Therein lies the ability to overcome all the foibles and challenges of this life . . .

~ Rest in His Word and Promises ~