Every day we see signs telling us what to do. A
Stop sign tells us to
hit the brakes. The Yield sign says to let others have their way.
No U-Turn means no
turning back. A Slow sign instructs us to proceed with
caution. A green light means go, a yellow light means slow,
and a red light means no. The signs are placed at those locations
for our own protection, and we can suffer harmful consequences if we ignore them.
In the spiritual realm, God also uses signs to point us in the right direction. Since He is in control of all things, He manages the circumstances in our lives to show us whether or not we are on the right track. Rejection is a Detour sign to redirect us to a new place. God gives a No U-Turn sign when we’re tempted to return to a forbidden place. He shows a Yield sign when we need to let others have their way.
Another kind of sign is when God does something in a highly unusual way to confirm His will. Moses (Ex. 3:12, 4:1-8), Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:8-11), Gideon (Judges 6:17-40), Abraham’s servant (Gen. 24:12-21), Jonathan (1 Sam. 14:8-10) and others in the Bible all received miraculous signs of affirmation. Sometimes God initiated the signs, while at other times people asked God for them.
A sign could be a door of opportunity opening, or a set of circumstances miraculously coming together. Keep in mind that a sign should not be your primary way of discovering God’s will. The Lord reveals His will through Scripture, godly counsel, and prompting in your heart.
Although it may be assuring to have solid proof through confirmations, signs are often followed by a severe testing of faith. Paul said a wide door was open for him and “there are many adversaries” (1 Cor. 16:9). Moses had to lead over a million people through the wilderness. Gideon had to fight the Midianites with his army reduced to just three hundred men. There’s also a danger of wrongly assuming that God sent you a sign when He hasn’t. Use discernment.
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