“Give me a sign.”
Something.
Anything.
But preferably something magnificent.
We’ve all asked for a sign at one point in our life; for a reassurance of God’s existence, his unfailing love, or simply because we wanted to witness his power. I asked that question recently, as I found myself deep in thought (as is normally the case when I drive alone.) I had just seen The Prince of Egypt and The Ten Commandments in the past two weeks. They have since re-become two of my all time favorites. As I drove, I reflected on the magnificent supernatural signs that the Israelite people had witnessed in the Exodus. My thoughts dwelt on one particular work of God, beautifully depicted in the Prince of Egypt- The Parting of the Red Sea.
I tried in vain to imagine what it must have been like to watch as the sea rushed open in front of you. To see sparkling walls of water rear abruptly skyward, nearly touching the clouds themselves. To stand speechless as a dry path between these walls appeared. To walk along this path, towards a shore that was so far away, that it could not even be seen. I found myself thinking:
“Lord, give me a sign of your power. You showed your people back then, you are the same today as then, show me!”
Nearly immediately, I was answered. I was not surprised. What surprised me, was what answer I received. God gently reminded me that he had already honored my request, and had far exceeded the simple result I was hoping for. He had shown me not one sign, but miracles uncountable.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. there is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat (Psalm 19:1-6).”
The very existence of creation is an inconceivable wonder: a timeless God created all that can be seen, heard or felt, from utter nothingness. It doesn’t get much more impossible than that. Think of water- seemingly simple, but yet a wonderful miracle in its own right. The sunrise on the ocean is astoundingly elegant, the mirrored surface of a mountain lake is unbelievably stunning, and the fact that water behaves differently from any other liquid when it gets cold, is simply beyond human thought. The heavens truly declare the glory of God, as does every insect, flower, rock, and star.
This revelation awed me. I no longer felt that I had missed out on the glorious signs and wonders recorded in the Bible. Instead I felt privileged to be able to comprehend the majestic splendor of creation that showed forth my God’s infinite power.
All of creation itself is a sign. A wonder. It is a miracle before our eyes. We are the witnesses, not once, but at all times and forevermore.
