Asking For Signs

If I listen and pay attention, there are enough signs for me to know that God is present in my life. There are moments of prayer when He comes to me in palpable ways. There moments of peak experiences when I realize I have more blessings in life than I truly deserve. There are the many moments with family and friends and when experiencing their love and affections, I whisper in gratitude that these are angels whom God sent to reassure me of His love. There are simple silent moments when I feel Him in the cool breeze of the morning or the slow coming of the dawn or in the awesome passing of the seasons.

There are also moments of noise and turmoil when I find myself wondering where my God is. There are times of trials and tribulations and I find myself wondering where God is during the storms in my life. I see great poverty, want and deprivation among many people and I ask whether God truly cares when there is so much hunger and pain. I read about all the violence and hatred among people and I wonder when God would smite all these bad people and wipe them off from the face of the earth.

I refuse to tempt the Lord. I will not ask from Him for palpable signs of His loving presence. I will trust in the Lord, knowing that here is someone who is greater than Jonah or Solomon. And He works His wonders everyday in my daily life, even in the ordinary events that happen to me.

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
~ Exodus 15:1

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
Matthew 12:38-42