Ships rely on the sky to chart their course. They interpret the type of clouds as well as the colors of the night sky to determine the next day’s weather. A red skyline at night is a sign of good sailing weather in the morning.
Signs can be amazing, but there are times when you shouldn’t need a sign.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven (Matthew 16:1 NIV).
Shortly after Jesus fed the four thousand, the Pharisees and the Sadducees asked Him for a sign from heaven. I’m sure there were many people who told them about the miracle that Jesus had just performed, or perhaps they even witnessed it themselves. Yet, they still insisted on trying to trap Jesus.
I love Jesus’ response in verses 2–4:
He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
Jesus then left them and went away. I love that! He wasn’t going to hang around and argue with them. He just walked away and left them with their jaws dropped. If the Pharisees thought there was the slightest chance that Jesus was who He said He was, how foolish of them to treat Him like a stage performer, someone who would do a magician’s trick on cue.
Yet, how often do we ask God for a sign, just a simple sign to reassure us of His presence and power? I know I have. There’s nothing wrong with asking, but make sure your motives are pure. If you’re asking for your own selfish pleasure or to feed your own unbelief, or just to see something cool, God will probably ignore your request. God’s miracles and signs are done on His own time and for His great purpose. In the meantime, God’s Word gives us all the information we need to “interpret the signs of the times.” We need only to study the Bible and ask God for the wisdom to discern what we read. He will open up His Word and guide us toward perfect understanding.
Debbie Mitchell