Episode 2763 - Lesson 8 - Sunday - May 17 - Just give me a sign!

Just Give Me a Sign!Maybe you’ve heard it said, “If I could just see the Red Sea parted, or manna on the ground, or Jesus heal a blind man, I’d believe.” Or perhaps you have had those same kinds of thoughts yourself.On the other hand, why should it be easier for us now to have faith than it was for those in ancient Bible times? The Israelites didn’t own a whole Bible, nor did they have such a long history to look back on, as we do. Moses reinforced the importance of looking back in order to remember God’s leading and goodness (see Deut. 4:7-10; Deut. 8:2-3). Unlike the Israelites, we have 6,000 years of Bible history to draw from (see John 20:30-31).Every generation wants a sign, and ours is no different. But signs are all around us. If you read Matthew 24, you will see how many things have been and are being fulfilled even now.People even in Jesus’ time wanted a sign that Jesus was really God’s Son, even though they had received many signs. How did Jesus respond? (See Mark 8:11-12.)Do we argue with Jesus and test Him as did the Pharisees? Do we make Him “[sigh] deeply in His Spirit” (Mark 8:12, NKJV) because of our lack of faith, when He has already given us all we need to believe? “These signs were not what the Jews needed. No mere external evidence could benefit them. What they needed was not intellectual enlightenment, but spiritual renovation.”--Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 406. Could it be that we too need spiritual renovation--a genuine, real, moment-by-moment walk with God? Perhaps we actually don’t need a sign, because we have a lot of knowledge at our fingertips, especially from our own Bibles.So, instead of making Jesus “[sigh] deeply” because of our lack of faith, may we remember the words Jesus spoke to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!” (John 20:29; see also Heb. 11:1). God does not ask us to have blind faith--He has already given us so many reasons to believe. And yet, even with all these reasons, there is always room for doubt. The key is to focus on what affirms faith, not on what brings doubt.In just 60 seconds, how would you describe your faith in God? What does your answer tell you about your walk with God?