No Crystal Ball
Today’s scripture selection: Matthew 14-16
Key verse: Matthew 16:1
“If only I had some kind of sign that this was the right thing for me to do!”
Ever said those words? I know I have. No matter how hard we study over a situation, no matter how much “data” we gather, so often we feel we need something more before we can be “sure.”
It was no different in Jesus’ day. Even though he was moving among them with the force of a hurricane – healing, teaching, driving out demons, stilling storms, confronting his detractors and comforting his followers – some still wanted more. No wonder he told them:
“A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”
In other words – sometimes we need to see the signs of God that are already around us; other times we need to move forward on faith alone, without a clear sign. We can’t always ask God for just “one more” reassurance before acting.
And the reference to the “sign of Jonah” – that was a not so subtle reminder that just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days before being released – so the savior would be in the tomb for three days and then be miraculously resurrected. Which savior? The one standing there before them that very day.
So as you go about your daily decisions – some small – some big – don’t always think you need a crystal ball or tarot card reading or even a reassurance from the scriptures before acting.
Act on faith – act on trust – act knowing that God and the kingdom’s resources are available to you always.
You may not always know exactly the next step to take. But you can trust you don’t take it alone.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the daily reassurance you offer. I don’t need to rely on miraculous signs from above – because you are that sign. AMEN.
By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
View all of Paul Simrell's posts.
IGW3 - In God's Word, In God's Will, In God's Work 