Weekly Devotion - "DON'T MISS HIS SIGNS" - March 14, 2011

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

DON’T MISS HIS SIGNS

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD.”

Exodus 10:1-2

Last winter my husband and I were driving in a city that we weren’t familiar with. As we made our way from the motel parking lot to a service road we stopped, but didn’t see a sign. Nor did we see traffic, which would’ve immediately clued us in to determining if this was a one way or two way street.

“I think it’s a one way,” Mike said.

I disagreed. “I think it’s a two way. Just take a left then we’ll be closest to the exit we need.”

He should know better than to listen to me when it comes to directions. He took a left and we met a semi in our supposed lane. Thankfully it was a slow moving semi. The driver simultaneously swerved and wailed on his horn letting us know that it was indeed a one- way street. Oops. I missed the sign.

God performed multiple signs for the Israelites before the exodus – a river of blood, frogs in kneading bowls, dust to gnats, swarms of flies, dead livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of firstborn so that they would know that He is the LORD (Exodus 10:1-2). On their way to the Promised Land, the signs continued – a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night, a walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, manna, quail and so much more (Exodus 13:22, 14:22, 16:13-14). Yet they missed the signs!

The spies that were sent to explore the land of Canaan returned with a large cluster of grapes, pomegranates and figs, all signs that what God said about the Promised Land was true. It is a rich, fertile, and bountiful land! Sadly, the people were so blinded by the stories of giants that they missed His signs.

The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” (Numbers 14:11). Only because God is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion were they spared from plague and destruction (Numbers 14:12- 20).

Does He say to you and me, “How long will she refuse to trust Me and believe in Me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed for her?”

PASSION Step: Don’t let the giants of disaster, disease, or other distressing circumstances blind you and cause you to miss seeing His signs.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus takes work. If we can’t find a window to see Him through, find a knothole.

Bob Goff