Does God send us signs?
Question:
I am curious to know whether God sends signs to us. For example, a man has an interest in a woman he has never met but seen at school or someplace. He tries to look for signs to see if she has any interest. He later finds out that she's a Christian, and finds out she goes to a similar church nearby and sees her doing things around him that make him think that she likes him. It's as if he sees signs of something good and a potential relationship.
Does God send signs like these to us or are signs something else?
Answer:
What the Bible typically calls signs are miraculous events or very unusual events. If it was a typical everyday occurrence, then it won't serve as proof.
For example, Gideon ask for a sign: "So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said- look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said." And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew." And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground" (Judges 6:36-40). One might have been a coincidence or someone manipulating the situation, but both together is too unusual to claim anything but that God was involved.
What typically happens today, however, is that people want God to tell them via signs what to do. The fact that God has told them through His word seems to be never enough. "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (I Corinthians 1:21-24). As Jesus proved to the Jews, even when they saw signs, it was never enough because they had already decided what the answer ought to be.
God has told us what to look for in a mate. I do believe strongly in the providence of God, that He answers our prayers. If we find a prayer answered, it doesn't do to go back and ask God, "Are you sure?"
If a girl appears interesting to you and you to her, then you should see if it will work out. If this is someone God approves of, be confident that it will work out. If it is not the right type of person for you, be confident that you are going to see indications that it isn't the best choice. You're not going to see the stars realign themselves to spell out "Marry her!" Put your confidence in God's care and the rest will work out.
What is sadder is when someone thinks they found the love of their life and then ignore all the indications that the other person won't make a good spouse. Yet, they plow ahead thinking that they will fix it in some manner or that it will go away on its own. If you find out that a girl you are dating got stoned one night with some friends, don't fool yourself into thinking it was a one-time event. This will become a major issue later if you marry her. If she is so jealous that you can't say a word to another person without checking in with her, then you know you will have major trust issues after marriage. God gives you common sense, so use it!
We're having a meeting this weekend on Revelation and the speaker mentioned several times the judgment of God on the wicked. Even if we don't get into the details of the symbols, what is being talked about isn't hard to understand. "Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds" (Revelation 16:8-11). It is interesting that God pours out His judgment and fury on men -- if there was ever a sign, it would be these -- and yet some people refuse to change. Instead, they blame God for the misery they brought on themselves.
You see this in our world. Look at all the misery that is coming on families because parents just move from one partner to another. It is documented. People talk about it. Yet, no one says "You know this unrestrained sex idea isn't working. We need to go back to God's way." Instead, they try to find a way to take it further because "obviously" we haven't gone far enough and that's why we are having problems. Here are people ignoring the signs.
I've seen young men who made a wreak of their lives, but they turn things around and start following God. Suddenly life gets better for them, things improve by leaps and bounds. Do they fall on their knees and thank God? No, they decide the bad events were just a fluke and they go back to their sinful ways. Here are people ignoring the signs.
Pay attention to the world around you. Listen to the word of God and put it first in your life. When things go well, don't question God and ask if you deserve this. Be thankful to God for His blessings. When things go bad despite your doing as God wants, don't question God and ask if you deserve this. Realize that this is an opportunity to grow stronger. Be confident that God knows those who are His and He watches day and night over them.
