As we make our way through our various travels, there are times when we all need a just little bit of help. Be it during a particularly troublesome time in our lives, times when we just seem to be going through the motions, or even when everythng appears to be going quite well for us, signs of various types can be very helpful and encouraging.
While I was on the road, I paid close attention to the signs I came across. There was a very good reason for this. I was in completely unfamiliar territory during the vast majority of my travels. Simply seeing a road sign that confirmed I was still on the road I was supposed to be on allowed me to keep moving forward with no concerns that I might be heading in the wrong direction.
There were other signs I also found encouraging. If I knew what city I was supposed to arrive at next, seeing signs that informed me I was getting closer to that city gave me even more confidence.
There were signs that told me everything from how fast I should be traveling to where the next gas station was to what restaurants were available at the next stop. While I'll readily admit to taking the speed limit signs as more of a "suggestion" than anything else, I still tried to be fairly reasonable about it. Throughout my entire trip, I found all of the information I needed via these signs. They told me everything from where I was, where I was going, how fast I should be traveling, when I should speed up, when I should slow down, where there may be ice on the road, where I might expect some strong cross-winds, right down to even telling me what lane I should be in if I wanted to catch the right exit 2 miles down the road. The basic function of all of these signs was to get me where I wanted to go, and to get me there safely.
Of course, my favorite signs of all were the signs that told me I had arrived at my destination. All of the other signs - as helpful as they may have been - paled by comparison. But without them, it would've been very difficult to get where I needed to be.
In our daily lives, there are many times when we're not sure what our next move should be. This can be true no matter where we find ourselves. Be it during good times, bad times, or simply during our day to day lives, we always feel encouraged when we see a sign that ensures us we're on the right path.
At some point in our lives, most of us have found ourselves in a place where we've called out to God, asking for some sort of a sign. If you're anything like me, you didn't want to see a simple sign such as "Stop here for gas," or "McDonalds - open 24 hours - next exit." No, if you're like me, you wanted to see a sign that said "Take this exit - you have arrived at your destination." While you'd find some comfort in knowing you're on the right path, that's not really what you were asking for. You really wanted to know if you were on the right path, how long you'd be there, what was coming in one mile, two miles, five miles, and what your destination would look like once you had arrived. You wanted the "BIG SIGN." The one that told you that you had arrived.
We've all heard, and even spoken the words "Give us this day our daily bread." What do those words mean? Is it about food? No. It's about asking Him to give us what we need today, on a spiritual level, in order to get us to our tomorrow when we'll ask for this daily bread once again. That's really what our faith is all about. While He will sometimes give us the "BIG SIGN," more often than not, God will usually give us just enough of a sign for today. He'll give us what appears to be a very small sign, or instruction, which tells us simply "Do this today, and trust me with what will come tomorrow."
God will never ask us for perfection. All He asks is that we turst Him with whatever small signs we've already been given. If we turn off on the wrong road, he'll always bring us back to where we belong if we ask Him to. But if we ever want to arrive at our desired destination, we need to keep moving forward and trust in the small signs we've already been given.
What signs have you been given recently, small as they may appear, that you have yet to follow?
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