Four Things to Remember When You Need a Sign from God

In 2003, The pop rock group Train’s album My Private Nation went platinum due to the hit song, Calling All Angels. Listening to the soulful sounds and powerful lyrics help us realize why the song was a hit, even many years later. Echoing the often empty despair of society, the group’s words request a sign from God as the world around them grows colder and more confusing. Looking around today, I can definitely agree the world often feels much as it is portrayed in the song. It often feels like we are drowning, unsafe, insecure, and uncertain about what lies ahead.

As Christians living in this world, we can also experience periods where such thoughts and feelings permeate our lives. Moved by our faith, we may ask for a sign from God. What should we expect when we do this? Read on to learn four things to remember when you need a sign from God.

It’s not wrong to ask God for a sign or to feel you need a sign

There are some who believe asking for a sign from God is a sign of “weak faith.” I’d argue that the Bible is full of people who asked for signs, all of whom were at different places in their beliefs.

• Abraham’s servant asked for a sign to prove he found the right woman to marry Isaac (Genesis 24:12-14).
• Moses asked for multiple signs from God to prove his position with God before Pharaoh (Exodus 4:1-17).
• Gideon asked for fleece to be wet when the ground was dry, and then vice versa, to prove he should lead Israel (Judges 6:36-40).
• Jonathan asked God for a sign to prove the right time to attack the Philistines (1 Samuel 14:8-10).
• King Hezekiah asked for a sign to prove God’s healing to him (2 Kings 20:8-11).

Each of these Biblical figures asked for a sign from God for different reasons. Some pertained to leadership; some about personal relationships; and others about battle and healing. Regardless, these stories prove there’s nothing wrong with asking God for a sign. Sometimes we come to crossroads in our faith. When we do, there’s nothing wrong with seeking God for direction or better understanding.

The sign of Jonah

I know some of you are saying, wait! What about that time when Jesus rebuked people when they asked for a sign?

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” (Matthew 12:38-39, NIV)

Jesus wasn’t saying it was wrong to want or need a sign from God in this passage. The first thing to address is that Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and teachers in the law. These individuals were watching Jesus with a crooked and conceited eye, hoping He would make a mistake so they could discredit Him. They’d already seen Him perform numerous miracles, wonders, and “signs” to prove He was Who He said He was. The problem was that the Pharisees and teachers weren’t really interested in discerning God’s will or understanding more about Jesus. Their need for signs were never enough, because they weren’t seeking sincere divine satisfaction.

If anything, this passage proves our motives for asking for a sign do matter. If we are just daring God to be God or hoping another sign will entertain us, we probably won’t find the results we seek. Coming to God with a sincere heart recognizes signs as an important part of discerning God’s will in our lives.

Learning to interpret “signs” is part of our faith

The Christian faith is both a personal and cosmic experience. We understand our experiences with God to be part of a bigger picture, one that’s not always easily understood this side of heaven. Faith comes in for the things we don’t understand. Through faith, we are often left to figure things out through experiences with God, directions in life, spiritual connections to the Body of Christ, and thorough study of the Scriptures. If we acknowledge signs as part of our faith, learning to interpret those signs is part of the way God speaks to us this side of heaven.

Interpreting signs means we learn to recognize the ways God reaches out to each one of us. Signs may be universal or personal to an individual. They may come in an obvious way (one we easily recognize) or through something more complex. Dreams and visions often require God’s help to understand, particularly through someone given the ability to interpret them. Beyond these more intricate technicalities, there are many times in our lives where we pause and know God has spoken to us in a situation, whether through someone else, the lyrics to a song, the outcome of something specific, or some other way that tells us God has given us the “sign” we’ve sought in a way we can understand.

God often doesn’t work on our timetable

We’ve all heard the saying, “God’s ways are not our ways.” As cliche as it might be, there’s great truth in the statement. It’s especially true when we ask for a sign from God. God often doesn’t provide answers to requests right away, nor does He always provide things in the manner we might expect. (We will speak on this more in the next section.) It’s easy to look out over the lives of others and think God answers their prayers faster or provides them more signs. We can step back and think we’re doing something wrong, or wonder where our faith should take us.

I believe God doesn’t work on our timetable for a few reasons. First, God wants us to look to Him as our source. Our situations aren’t everyone else’s, and we can’t measure ourselves against others in terms of signs, timing, or situations. We don’t know how long someone else has looked to God for answers when they receive a desired sign. Second, our relationship with God forces us to move more on His timetable (in terms of eternity) rather than our own (in terms of a timeline). While we focus on how long a situation takes, God looks at what a situation does to our character as we move in faith.

This means: you will likely get a sign from God. It just won’t come when you expect. It also might not be the one you expect to receive.

The “signs” we want from God are often not the ones we receive

In the last section, I spoke on the reality that God doesn’t work on our timetable. He also doesn’t always give us the signs we expect. If we look at the Bible examples above, only a few of them received a sign in the specific way requested. Most of us receive signs from God that aren’t in the way we might expect.

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.” (Matthew 12:39-42, NIV)

In this passage (which we examined above), Jesus tells the Pharisees and teachers of the law that they will receive a sign. It just won’t be the one they want. They will still get a sign from God that will challenge their faith and force them to grow in some way. What they do from there is up to them. The same is true for us today, as well. Whether we ask because we sincerely want guidance or because we are challenging God doesn’t change the fact that the sign we receive may very well come to challenge us.

I won’t give up if You don’t give up

Signs from God are ultimately a message that God doesn’t give up on us. We shouldn’t give up on Him. When we have need of God’s intervention, we should ask for it. When a sign comes to us, whether personal, simple, complicated, or cosmic, we should embrace His voice and know we can continue forward. Need a sign from God? Don’t hesitate to ask. No matter what, be ready to embrace the answer.