“’Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!’ Then he said, ‘Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.’” — Isaiah 7:11–14 (NASB95)

Verse 14 is a very familiar messianic prophecy, but that is not what I would like to address in this devotion. What strikes me in these verses is that God tells King Ahaz to ask for a sign; Ahaz refuses, so God provides one anyway. I hear many Christians say (including myself at times), “I wish God would just tell/show me what His will is for me.” We tend to think that God has all the cards, and He is playing too close to the vest.

My problem with that thinking is that the more I study the Scriptures, the more I see that God is continually shouting out what His will is. He is declaring it to anyone who will listen. The problem is that we tend to miss it because: (1) We just aren’t listening with spiritual ears, or (2) His will is too far from our will so we can’t see or accept it. Where has God not told us about life, relationships, suffering, persecution, illnesses, death, Heaven, end times, etc.? He addresses all these issues in His Word. Oftentimes He goes so far as to provide signs (virgin bearing a son, special stars in the sky, darkness over the whole earth, pillars of fire by night and cloud by day, etc., etc., etc.). You see, the list could go on and on. God is continuously providing information and direction concerning our lives and His will.

Today, let’s stop for a minute and ask the question, “What do I know for sure? What has God revealed to me about His will?” I think we all will find there is more there than we think.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church