Signs God Uses So You Know He Is Leading You

[Guitarhero]

I don't know quite how to explain this and I'll do my best. But do you ever feel that God uses a variety of signs leading you to see in retrospect as well as for the future, that He has a plan for you? Things like names of places you might have lived, names of places your forefathers might have lived in, trades they had and that you desire when you had no idea previously, dates, street signs etc.? For example, you lived in an area that was named XYZ and fast forward to the future, you desire to explore and live a certain place that may be thousands of miles away but it's named the same as your city or family home or something like that? Or prophesies you might have said unbeknownst to you at the time but that came to be true and there's a point in time you realize in the past what you had said about a certain situation? I'm presently going through something and I just cannot believe it, if this is, in fact, what I think it is. I'm tracing the steps of my ancestors and the answer to my prayers might just be something I never knew would be this, in this time, in that space? It's hard to describe. I guess, in essence, places and names of the past are guiding me to places of what is to come.

Ok, I'll give another example. I really needed to move away and start anew after my relationship ended and I tried other areas and programs but those didn't pan out. So, where I am now is the one that did so I took it. It's turned out well and in a variety of ways. There is much protection, financial and etc. because my old state has nearly collapsed. I received a miracle. I'll just say that God has provided in a way I never knew would be needed, as well as my desires...from nothing. The day of the move, even the ad on the moving truck was, guess what, this very city. I had been asking for a sign all the way to the very moving day that I was making the right decision. I'll never forget my cousin who helped me. God bless her in all her needs!!! That one has my heart. I love her very much. But anyway, I have been blessed and in looking back and wondering, signs are all over the place about this city, even in my youth as a teen. So, for this next endeavor, I think I'm experiencing something very similar again. I'm not trying to force the hand of God and am remaining prayerful, but I'm seeing that often, the desires you have are those He has put in you to accomplish His purpose. I hope and pray. Because it looks promising and lovely. I hope and pray.
Anybody have this type of leading?

 

[loolalooh]

Thank you for starting this thread. I sometimes wonder if I'm "out there" with the kind of leading I see, but I ultimately know it is real.

I haven't really experienced the "names of past" guiding me to the future. However, I do receive other forms of leading, including "names in the present". Without going into too much detail, I'll describe my current situation:

I had prayed to God multiple times as to whether this next move to City X was what He wanted for me. I sought His direction hard core. One day, I was in my car listening to a Gospel CD. I decided to listen to a track I had always skipped on previous occasions. As I listened to the song for the first time, the exact name of City X was mentioned in the chorus. To me that was confirmation #1.

After that encounter, I prayed again to God to direct me and confirm this message. I asked Him again if City X was where He was leading me. One day, I was flying to a birthday event and laid over in New Mexico. The flight attendant announced "Anyone going to City X should remain onboard". It blew my mind especially since City X didn't seem like the "natural" destination for a plane stopping in New Mexico. This was confirmation #2.

Since then, the name has been mentioned a couple more times. Even on this forum, someone posted a sermon from a pastor stationed in City X. This came after I had accepted God's confirmation and next prayed as to which church to attend there.

This is just one example, and I think it helped that I was very open and sensitive to His leading unlike some other moments in my life. You're not alone.

 

[Guitarhero]

I'm like in awe...that somebody else comprehends this. It's strange, right? But boy is it wonderful! I pray that all works out well!!!

 

[Poohbear]

Hmmm, this post made me think of something but not sure if it's a sign from God...

About 10 years ago, one of my older cousins came to go to college at a black university where I live. A few of my family members and I went to go visit her at the black university. This was the first time I ever visited a college as well.

Well over the pass few years, I had been having trouble finding a job after graduating from a private university which was predominately white. I went through a series of different jobs and temporary positions.

Then last year, I met a man (who is now my boyfriend) who graduated from this black university...

Also last year, my great aunt's sister-in-law introduce me to a job opportunity at the black university...

Now, I work at the black university and it has been the best job and working environment out of all previous jobs and workplaces I've been. There's also word of me getting promoted to a position that this one woman here is quitting, and I haven't even been here for a year yet!

Is this a sign from God?

 

[loolalooh]

I'm like in awe...that somebody else comprehends this. It's strange, right? But boy is it wonderful! I pray that all works out well!!!

Thanks. I hope it works out well for you too!

It surely is wonderful! This is great to hear other stories too. Hopefully this thread becomes filled with more!

 

[loolalooh]

Hmmm, this post made me think of something but not sure if it's a sign from God...

About 10 years ago, one of my older cousins came to go to college at a black university where I live. A few of my family members and I went to go visit her at the black university. This was the first time I ever visited a college as well.

Well over the pass few years, I had been having trouble finding a job after graduating from a private university which was predominately white. I went through a series of different jobs and temporary positions.

Then last year, I met a man (who is now my boyfriend) who graduated from this black university...

Also last year, my great aunt's sister-in-law introduce me to a job opportunity at the black university...

Now, I work at the black university and it has been the best job and working environment out of all previous jobs and workplaces I've been. There's also word of me getting promoted to a position that this one woman here is quitting, and I haven't even been here for a year yet!

Is this a sign from God?

I wouldn't be surprised if this was all God's hand.

The way I try to determine if something is a sign from God is through prayer and multiple confirmation.

 

[Do_Si_Dos]

Maybe I am confused about this... But I thought praying and asking for a sign was testing God. I thought this was something that we, as christians should not do. Could someone enlighten me?

 

[loolalooh]

Maybe I am confused about this... But I thought praying and asking for a sign was testing God. I thought this was something that we, as christians should not do. Could someone enlighten me?

Yes, we shouldn't test God, but praying for confirmation is fine.

I've heard the same thing too but believe the definition of a "sign" depends on who you're talking to. To one person, a "sign" could be a "test" - in which case, that's not good. To another person, a "sign" could be "direction" - in which case, he/she's just watching for God's lead.

----

We can also look at it this way. The "sign" you mention comes from a prideful or doubtful heart. For example, Matthew 4:

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

At this point, Jesus knew He was the Son of God. He didn't need further confirmation. To therefore use the angels in the manner stated, as proof, would've been an instance of yielding to pride or doubt. Jesus did not yield.

Now for a "sign" as confirmation ... This comes from a heart desiring to hear and follow the Lord. (Here, Abraham's servant prays to the Lord concerning Isaac's future wife). Genesis 24:

12 Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

The core difference is the heart - whether it is prideful/doubtful or genuinely seeking the Lord's guidance.

 

[loolalooh]

Another key verse. Don't test God, but test the spirits:

1 John 4
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

 

[madamdot]

Wow . . . this is a fantastic thread.

I am going through this right now. I am job searching and in February I had an interview at a certain company. They had 2 of the same positions opened. I thought I aced the interview. The interview came about in such an impossible manner that I know God was working something.

I have not heard from the company but I heard through the grapevine that the position is filled (at least one was) but they were still looking for someone else for the other. I cried and cried because I could not believe God would set me up like this. At the end of my crying I said - OK Lord, I am disappointed but I trust You. If you say this is not for me then it is not.

Since then I have been having what I think are "signs" indicating this company.

When I see it I nod and say OK Lord I know You are doing your thing. It seems practically impossible but I know God does the impossible so I will keep praying for guidance and trust that He will lead me on the right path . . . even it does not turn out the way I expected.

 

[aribell]

I think this is one of those things that can only really make sense in retrospect--like after the fact you can look back and say, "Wow, I see how God has been leading me here all along, praise Him.

I've had mixed experiences with this phenomenon. Once, it seems like it really was of the Lord. I have a friend from Nebraska. We don't talk often, but we're good friends. She had been engaged to a guy from another country and they had problems from the start and really shouldn't have pursued that relationship. Anyway, months had gone by and I hadn't talked to her. But I kept seeing Nebraska license plates on cars in my Missouri hometown--nowhere near Nebraska. The first time or two, I just thought about her. But it got to the point were I was just like, "Something is going on here. I need to call her." When I called her, she had just, and I mean just broken off her engagement and was really upset. She needed someone to talk to and also a friend to give her the courage not to go back to him. I felt like it was clear that the Lord had me keep on seeing those plates so I would think of her and call her to be there for her.

There's another instance in which if anything was supposed to be a sign--confirmed over and over--this situation would exemplify it. It started off with my best friend mentioning something about it without me saying anything at all, then dreams, then a pastor completely unrelated to the situation, family...all indicating that such and such should come to pass. Well...it didn't...or hasn't yet...but I do know a lot of energy was wasted thinking "Oh, this must be it." It very well could be it (the seeming "signs" have not ceased, 3 years now). But it has not shown itself to be true.

So, I feel like the best thing to do would be to continue to follow God's wisdom and commands, and if the thing comes to pass, then to say, "Praise God, He was leading me all along." We can never miss God when obeying His commands and loving Him with our whole hearts. I'm also reminded that this is a spiritual battle and undue disappointment can cause one to get sidetracked. Pharaoh's magicians were able to mimick God's signs through Moses, but they could not mimick God's control over everything. When God's hand of power is shown truly in our lives, it will be clear and far beyond a sign because things will begin to move and change and happen in our lives. It won't simply cause us to hope, there will be power in it. Dark spirits can mimick signs, coincidence can make signs seem real, but nothing can fabricate the actual power and movement of God when it is truly present.

This is just from my experience, both with the positive side of being led and also with the negative side of being disappointed and spiritually sidetracked when something that seemed clearly confirmed by God's signs seemingly wasn't. I'm still processing it...

 

[aribell]

Also, I think that there are signs that enable us to see God's wisdom more clearly, and those that are simply fleeces, like Gideon's. So, Abraham's servant asked God for a sign in choosing Isaac's wife. But it's interesting that what he asked for had to do with finding a woman of good character. He didn't say, "If she has a gold ring in her ear," but rather, "If she offers to water all the camels as well." That would show hospitality and generosity of heart. His "sign" was a way of finding a godly woman.

Again, I do believe that God works in this way, but I think that His signs are those which point us to Him and His character and His power and His will rather than those which are somewhat "random" in nature. The Nebraska friend I mentioned--she and her ex-fiance prayed for signs and thought they had received them. Things like happening to be thinking of the same Bible verse, etc. But praying for signs obscured the work they needed to be doing regarding discerning wisom for the direction of their relationship.

Also, I remember a few years back reading an article on a Christian website about signs. The author was talking about discerning whether she was going to marry her bf. She had been reading Bible verses from the Song of Songs and came across one involving apples, which made her think of her bf. Soon after, she came across a poster with apples and it said something about being the apple of someone's eye or something like that. She wrote about how she knew it was a sign from God, etc. They got married. The author and I have a mutual friend and I asked him how the couple was and he told me that they were now divorced and that she felt he was "emotionally abusive," which the friend said he could see being true. And I thought back to that signs article, where the young woman was focusing on signs--coincidental bible verses and posters and apples--but not so much on discerning her bf's character.

I really feel like I brought a thundercloud into a sunny thread. Please forgive me, Natchicholes I really don't mean to, but as far as our choices and actions are concerned, I do think that signs are not something to be taken as guidance, but rather to look back on to see confirmation that one's choice was the right one. We don't want to get ahead of God and assume a sign means something that it doesn't. For that, we have to be patient--all will be revealed.

 

[Guitarhero]

Also, I think that there are signs that enable us to see God's wisdom more clearly, and those that are simply fleeces, like Gideon's. So, Abraham's servant asked God for a sign in choosing Isaac's wife. But it's interesting that what he asked for had to do with finding a woman of good character. He didn't say, "If she has a gold ring in her ear," but rather, "If she offers to water all the camels as well." That would show hospitality and generosity of heart. His "sign" was a way of finding a godly woman.

Again, I do believe that God works in this way, but I think that His signs are those which point us to Him and His character and His power and His will rather than those which are somewhat "random" in nature. The Nebraska friend I mentioned--she and her ex-fiance prayed for signs and thought they had received them. Things like happening to be thinking of the same Bible verse, etc. But praying for signs obscured the work they needed to be doing regarding discerning wisom for the direction of their relationship.

Also, I remember a few years back reading an article on a Christian website about signs. The author was talking about discerning whether she was going to marry her bf. She had been reading Bible verses from the Song of Songs and came across one involving apples, which made her think of her bf. Soon after, she came across a poster with apples and it said something about being the apple of someone's eye or something like that. She wrote about how she knew it was a sign from God, etc. They got married. The author and I have a mutual friend and I asked him how the couple was and he told me that they were now divorced and that she felt he was "emotionally abusive," which the friend said he could see being true. And I thought back to that signs article, where the young woman was focusing on signs, but not so much on discerning her bf's character.

I really feel like I brought a thundercloud into a sunny thread. Please forgive me, Natchicholes I really don't mean to, but as far as our choices and actions are concerned, I do think that signs are not something to be taken as guidance for the future, but rather to look back on to see confirmation that one's choice was the right one. We don't want to get ahead of God and assume a sign means something that it doesn't. For that, we have to be patient.

And that's exactly how it has turned out for me. In retrospect, I see that the leading was there all the time and how strange it is that there are so many similarities/signs. Of course, a lot of mine is cultural and just how we relate to God. It can apply but both the good and the bad are (just lost the word sigh) pre-ordained by God, if that makes sense. I think that most of us are saying that we look for His leading. As a microcosm of this earth to heaven, if I ask my Father to show me the way, I expect Him to, even physically. It requires trust but He knew beforehand that we ask for signs. The ones mentioned in scriptures I don't believe to be referring to these mundane ones but rather, testing and/or daring God from the unfaithful as an afront. Even those, He often obliges for those weak of faith. And it could just be the way He works in my life but the signs have been there since my earliest youth. Somehow, He enabled me to remember specific things and when stages came to fruition, I saw in retrospect that it's written all around me....just like my existence, birth, life and death, in the scriptues in some form of gematria...all of us. Of course, that's my understanding and I'm not speaking for others.

No thundercloud at all...everything requires balance and yours is a reminder for those reading . You "thanked" and I'm still editing lololol

 

[Do_Si_Dos]

Yes, we shouldn't test God, but praying for confirmation is fine.

I've heard the same thing too but believe the definition of a "sign" depends on who you're talking to. To one person, a "sign" could be a "test" - in which case, that's not good. To another person, a "sign" could be "direction" - in which case, he/she's just watching for God's lead.

----

We can also look at it this way. The "sign" you mention comes from a prideful or doubtful heart. For example, Matthew 4:

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

At this point, Jesus knew He was the Son of God. He didn't need further confirmation. To therefore use the angels in the manner stated, as proof, would've been an instance of yielding to pride or doubt. Jesus did not yield.

Now for a "sign" as confirmation ... This comes from a heart desiring to hear and follow the Lord. (Here, Abraham's servant prays to the Lord concerning Isaac's future wife). Genesis 24:

12 Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

The core difference is the heart - whether it is prideful/doubtful or genuinely seeking the Lord's guidance.

Ok.. Thanks for explaining that to me and giving me a reference point.

 

[kayte]

I love this thread because I constantly go through fluency of signs and
am blessed with spontaneous visions...and intuition ..but I do not always comprehend
even if the desired out come does not seem to immediately manifest
when this happens....sign one after the other until Iam dizzy
I know I am in Divine flow...and try hard not to manipulate and take control
but remain watchful...vigilant

but it all comes back to The Word

I sort it out by...reading the Bible and praying and if neccesary...fasting
some times it's so simple...the action is directed....I do it...whether I want to or not
sometimes I do not want to .AT ALL
but I DO it anyways as obedience
and miracles happen

and other times I have an abundance of signs and they point... nowhere
and I hear only silence from Heaven
God is outside of human understanding and predictability

that's where the FAITH comes in and the Bible and gratitude
and praise
I can almost always do this



and as Nicole's post mentions
I think there's a warning and danger in relying
on the signs...as a gospel..
I have nonetheless been grateful for them

 

[Lilac87]

This is a really great thread! I too have asked God for signs and I admit that sometimes the signs I asked for were superficial ones.

Recently, I've asked God to show me what he wants me to do as far as a career.
But my question is, if signs are more for retrospect use and not as guidance for the future, how do we know we are making the right decisions or choices? Can't signs, and I mean signs from God, help us make the right decision? I do know what you mean, Nicola, when you mentioned that we know it was a sign from God only when we look back at how everything panned out but is there a way we can perceive something as a sign from God in the present for the future?

I'm sorry if my post is a little confusing. Its just that I ask for signs all the time for confirmation when making a decision and sometimes I have trouble discerning what's a sign and what's just pure coincidence.

 

[aribell]

This is a really great thread! I too have asked God for signs and I admit that sometimes the signs I asked for were superficial ones.

Recently, I've asked God to show me what he wants me to do as far as a career.
But my question is, if signs are more for retrospect use and not as guidance for the future, how do we know we are making the right decisions or choices? Can't signs, and I mean signs from God, help us make the right decision? I do know what you mean, Nicola, when you mentioned that we know it was a sign from God only when we look back at how everything panned out but is there a way we can perceive something as a sign from God in the present for the future?

I'm sorry if my post is a little confusing. Its just that I ask for signs all the time for confirmation when making a decision and sometimes I have trouble discerning what's a sign and what's just pure coincidence.

No, your post isn't confusing. I think that it's a question that most of us struggle with if we want to make the right choice and want to know that it's God's will. I think the thing about asking for confirmation that something is the "right" choice is that most of the time there isn't a "right" choice. Most of the time, the right thing to do will be whatever falls within God's commands and whatever enables you to live a life that is pleasing to Him. And there are many ways of doing that! There's so much emphasis in the Bible on getting wisdom and understanding and learning to discern what is good that I think that's our first priority--learning how to make good and wise decisions.

If the Lord has more specific plans for you,--as in He wants you to walk down x road rather than y--you can ask Him to reveal that to you and to work things out according to His will. But it's not something to be anxious about--the great majority of the time the decision is up to you, so long as it accords with wisdom and His principles and commands. Sometimes we can't see clearly what the wisest choice is, and so we ask for wisdom, which He says He gives liberally, we seek wise and godly counsel, we pray with other believers and allow their gifts to minister to us and to perhaps shed light on the situation. And hopefully we learn to make better and wiser choices over time. But all He asks us to do is to obey His commands.

So, ime, I don't know that I can say that there really is a time that signs can be trusted as leading for the future, at least not in a Magic 8 Ball "Yes/No" kind of way. I do think that they occur, but I don't think our decisions can rest on them. Or, the type of "sign" that could be trusted is one that enables one to better see how a certain path is wisest and best--like, you've been considering a certain field but are unsure; then different people tell you that you have a real talent for this particular field and you're able to be successful in it. So the people's encouragement and your success help you to see that you could do well in this field--they would be "signs" that point you down a certain path by helping you to see more clearly that that chosen path would be good for you.

I've also seen that if something is in God's specific will, then it will happen without me or anyone else trying to make it come about. The Lord knows that we can't see the future, and He doesn't require us to. But when something happens that we can retrospectively see was wholly of God, it adds to our wonder of Him, our praise, and also our gratefulness that He's working things out for us.

In decisionmaking, I see that He wants us to be good and wise stewards of what He has given us, but He is not going to make our decisions for us because we're the stewards. I am speaking very broadly and generally here, so what I'm saying I think applies in general. I know I veered a little here, but I think the thing with using signs to discern the right decision is that there really isn't a "right" decision so much as a "good" decision, and we make "good" decisions by knowing God's word inside and out, by understanding ourselves, by seeking counsel and relying upon the Body of Christ. Like with the stories I relayed above, oftentimes seeking signs prevents us from doing the hard work of figuring out how to make a good and wise decision about something important. When we're planning our steps, the Lord wants us to seek wisdom and understanding rather than signs.

I hope that was some kind of clear...though it's not really what the op is talking about.

 

[sidney]

I think this is one of those things that can only really make sense in retrospect--like after the fact you can look back and say, "Wow, I see how God has been leading me here all along, praise Him.

I've had mixed experiences with this phenomenon. Once, it seems like it really was of the Lord. I have a friend from Nebraska. We don't talk often, but we're good friends. She had been engaged to a guy from another country and they had problems from the start and really shouldn't have pursued that relationship. Anyway, months had gone by and I hadn't talked to her. But I kept seeing Nebraska license plates on cars in my Missouri hometown--nowhere near Nebraska. The first time or two, I just thought about her. But it got to the point were I was just like, "Something is going on here. I need to call her." When I called her, she had just, and I mean just broken off her engagement and was really upset. She needed someone to talk to and also a friend to give her the courage not to go back to him. I felt like it was clear that the Lord had me keep on seeing those plates so I would think of her and call her to be there for her.

There's another instance in which if anything was supposed to be a sign--confirmed over and over--this situation would exemplify it. It started off with my best friend mentioning something about it without me saying anything at all, then dreams, then a pastor completely unrelated to the situation, family...all indicating that such and such should come to pass. Well...it didn't...or hasn't yet...but I do know a lot of energy was wasted thinking "Oh, this must be it." It very well could be it (the seeming "signs" have not ceased, 3 years now). But it has not shown itself to be true.

So, I feel like the best thing to do would be to continue to follow God's wisdom and commands, and if the thing comes to pass, then to say, "Praise God, He was leading me all along." We can never miss God when obeying His commands and loving Him with our whole hearts. I'm also reminded that this is a spiritual battle and undue disappointment can cause one to get sidetracked. Pharaoh's magicians were able to mimick God's signs through Moses, but they could not mimick God's control over everything. When God's hand of power is shown truly in our lives, it will be clear and far beyond a sign because things will begin to move and change and happen in our lives. It won't simply cause us to hope, there will be power in it. Dark spirits can mimick signs, coincidence can make signs seem real, but nothing can fabricate the actual power and movement of God when it is truly present.

This is just from my experience, both with the positive side of being led and also with the negative side of being disappointed and spiritually sidetracked when something that seemed clearly confirmed by God's signs seemingly wasn't. I'm still processing it...

I tend to agree with Nicola here. I think that as we mature as christians we really have to use biblical wisdom and develop spiritual discernment. As Nicola stated, signs can be used by the enemy to mislead you. The best thing to do is to pray about your situation and talk to spiritual advisors who can guide you according to biblical truth. Usually after talking to a few godly people you will know if these signs have any merit or not.

 

[sidney]

Also, I think that there are signs that enable us to see God's wisdom more clearly, and those that are simply fleeces, like Gideon's. So, Abraham's servant asked God for a sign in choosing Isaac's wife. But it's interesting that what he asked for had to do with finding a woman of good character. He didn't say, "If she has a gold ring in her ear," but rather, "If she offers to water all the camels as well." That would show hospitality and generosity of heart. His "sign" was a way of finding a godly woman.

Again, I do believe that God works in this way, but I think that His signs are those which point us to Him and His character and His power and His will rather than those which are somewhat "random" in nature. The Nebraska friend I mentioned--she and her ex-fiance prayed for signs and thought they had received them. Things like happening to be thinking of the same Bible verse, etc. But praying for signs obscured the work they needed to be doing regarding discerning wisom for the direction of their relationship.

Also, I remember a few years back reading an article on a Christian website about signs. The author was talking about discerning whether she was going to marry her bf. She had been reading Bible verses from the Song of Songs and came across one involving apples, which made her think of her bf. Soon after, she came across a poster with apples and it said something about being the apple of someone's eye or something like that. She wrote about how she knew it was a sign from God, etc. They got married. The author and I have a mutual friend and I asked him how the couple was and he told me that they were now divorced and that she felt he was "emotionally abusive," which the friend said he could see being true. And I thought back to that signs article, where the young woman was focusing on signs--coincidental bible verses and posters and apples--but not so much on discerning her bf's character.

I really feel like I brought a thundercloud into a sunny thread. Please forgive me, Natchicholes I really don't mean to, but as far as our choices and actions are concerned, I do think that signs are not something to be taken as guidance, but rather to look back on to see confirmation that one's choice was the right one. We don't want to get ahead of God and assume a sign means something that it doesn't. For that, we have to be patient--all will be revealed.

I've had God to answer this kind of request, like the one bolded. Another one is the Gideon and the fleece. But you know, in my whole life as a serious Christian I can count on one hand the number of times God had done this. And all the instances it was always a exceedingly important need or situation. I think these events happen but they are rare. Sometimes signs are kinda like when you buy a new car, and all of a sudden you notice your car everywhere when you hadn't before.

 

[madamdot]

I've had God to answer this kind of request, like the one bolded. Another one is the Gideon and the fleece. But you know, in my whole life as a serious Christian I can count on one hand the number of times God had done this. And all the instances it was always a exceedingly important need or situation. I think these events happen but they are rare. Sometimes signs are kinda like when you buy a new car, and all of a sudden you notice your car everywhere when you hadn't before.

This is why I try never to pray for signs but for guidance . . . and of course the guidance rarely ever come in the form of signs indicating something but when I am in a pinch - a crosswords - God will speak to me quite clearly. I just wish these clear moments were more frequent.

 

[Poohbear]

Maybe I am confused about this... But I thought praying and asking for a sign was testing God. I thought this was something that we, as christians should not do. Could someone enlighten me?

I think testing God would be like bribing God. For example: If someone prays "God if you do this for me, then I will do this for you" or "I'll stop doing this sin". Or making promises to God (i.e. "I promise to never do this sin again) that you may not be able to keep.

 

[CreativeOne]

thank you OP, good thread

 

[Guitarhero]

Rather than testing God, I see and saw my experiences as something organic, from that which God has already placed in effect, the signs and symbols He uses from the natural world we live in to speak to us. Yes, we must be careful, and not everyone will receive such "signs" as I and others have. But I am reminded of this scripture as I ponder the wonders of the Messiah, who came by way of signs:

Let my prayer rise like incense before you. The lifting of my hands like the evening offering. (Ps 141:1,2)

It is in these organic things that He speaks to us and requires us to worship. It is in these ways that He sometimes chooses to speak to His children.

 

[mango387]

When I was a senior in college, I applied to a graduate program in education. I always wanted to be a teacher, but I decided to do it then instead of later b/c it seemed like education would be a great field for a young married woman who wanted to start a family ASAP. At that time, I had a college sweetheart and he was talking marriage. To make a long story short, I became a single woman about one month after I was accepted into the school of education. Consequently, I was VERY conflicted about becoming a teacher even as I was earning my MA in education and my entire first year of teaching. I would have become a teacher but as a second career. (I never wanted to work in one field all of my life).

Well, I got a pink slip after the first year I taught, but I was immediately rehired. Then, the second year, I SERIOUSLY began to seek God about whether education was the career for me. One night I had a dream about Harriet Tubman, and I felt like I heard a voice that said "Go back for your people." One of the things that I had written in my grad school application was that I wanted to go back to my school district and give back all that I had been given. I was like "Wow!" At the end of my second year, a lot of non-tenured teachers were terminated, but I still had my position. Why? I don't know.

Year 3-Not only was I still teaching, but I also began to receive CRAZY opportunities in this field that some people who have taught twenty plus years have not received. This was the big tenure year for me, and over 160 teachers are terminated. Through God's grace, I do not get a pink slip. Plus, I finally feel that I have caught the "teaching bug."

All is well, but I kind have been feeling a different push lately. Over the past three years, several situations related to public/adolescent health issues have been appearing in my life. In a chance meeting with a hospital internist who I had JUST MET, this white, older male physician suggests that I become a professor of medicine. You would really think this was random, but this is the second time that a physician has said this to me. (I teach history, everyone). I don't know if I should consider this or stick with secondary education. Well, yesterday, I listen to a radio sermon. Out of the blue, the preacher mentions Harriet Tubman going back for her people (Again: Grad school application). Now, I kind of believe that I should be doing something related to education (maybe even public health education???), but I am now asking God to guide me in my next move. (I don't want to be in the classroom for thirty-five years, but I don't want to move without God's blessing). God does give you signs, and in my case, I would say it's the Harriet Tubman thing.