The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. — Matthew 16:1
Not long ago, I was watching a show on television where the actor was facing challenging circumstances. It seemed that every way he turned, there was another difficulty or challenge. As the plot continued, he started to ask questions. Then, he stopped what he was doing, looked up toward the sky, and asked for a sign from God.
I have often heard others in similar situations where they are going through things in life, and they ask God for a sign. They want God to intervene physically in their circumstance to show them the way to go. For example, they would love nothing more than for God to interact in their lives in such a way that it would leave absolutely no doubt that the action came from God.
There are certainly times in life when God will move in just that way. He may take action where it leaves no doubt that only God could have done what was done. But what happens when He doesn’t? What happens when we want God to do something spectacular as a sign for us, but He chooses not to?
It certainly doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care or isn’t interested. As Jesus was interacting with the Pharisees and Sadducees here, they asked for a sign. He told them they were able to discern the weather by looking at the sky. It was a challenge that some things don’t take a supernatural action to tell us it is what God wants.
There are many times we can discern God’s will simply by reading His words and meditating on it in our hearts. Put the situation and circumstance you are concerned about through the test of God’s word. Does it pass the test? If not, chances are you don’t need a supernatural sign. You just need to listen and trust in God’s word.
Jared Dyson
Another Well Ministries
You????? That is so hard to believe...
The Man Who Fell from a Cliff, a Parable Posted on June 2, 2020 by a quiet walk
A man was walking along a trail high on a cliff when he slipped and fell. As he fell, he managed to grab a tree root. The terrified man had no way of getting back up, so he started praying.
“Please God, come and save me! I know you will come. Please come God!”
From the top of the cliff he heard a voice call down, “hello, I have a rope and I am going to throw it down, grab a hold and I will pull you up.”
The man said, “No that’s fine, God will save me, I know God will come, I’m a good person, God will come.”
“Ok” said the voice.
The man continued to pray, “Please God, I know you are there and can hear me, please come and save me!”
From along the cliff face the man heard a voice, “Hello, I’m rock climbing and can come over and help you get down, can you hold on for 10 minutes?”
The man said, “No I’m fine, God will come and help me, I know God will come.”
“Ok” said the voice.
Now the tree root was getting a bit weak and the man was getting worried God might not show up in time. So, he prayed, really hard. “Oh God, please, please! I’m begging you to come and save me! My tree root is weakening, and I am so afraid! Please God come save me!”
A third time the man heard a voice, “Hello up there, we have gathered some friends and we will get a lot of hay and pillows below you to break your fall. In just a few minutes you can let go and we will catch you.”
But again, the man said, “No thanks, I’ve prayed, and I know God has heard me and God will come and get me down, thanks anyway.”
“Ok” said the group of voices.
Suddenly the root broke and the man fell to bottom of the cliff and died. When he reached heaven and saw God he asked. “Why didn’t you come and save me, I prayed and prayed?”
God smiled and said, “I did come, I sent a man with a rope and you turned him down. I sent a climber and you turned her down. I sent an entire village, but you turned them down as well. I simply assumed you wanted to die.”
The moral of this story is our prayers are answered always, but often not in the way we expect. This story also illustrates a point for today’s world. We have the answers in front of us, we just don’t want to see them. The Holy Spirit has given us the tools to fix our problems but if we don’t wish to use them, then well, She is going to assume we simply want to die.
P.S.: Notice, It was a man who fell from the cliff, if it had been a woman, she would have grabbed that rope in a heartbeat. Women understand a gift when it is given.
Ruth Jewell, ©June 2, 2020
...wonderful fable...
...thank you for sharing it...