Is It a Sign?

August 26, 2025October 3, 2025Leave a comment

Have you ever noticed how much we depend on signs? They tell us which way to go on highways. They give us directions on streets. They advertise products and services on billboards. And they tell us the names and purposes of buildings.

Signs are also indicators announcing the changes of seasons. They can be a signal to personality traits of another person to determine whether they are for or against us. And they can be used in some instances to determine the onset of some illness.

Signs were also referred to heavily in the Bible. Jesus used signs or miracles that pointed to the very real fact that He was the Christ, the Son of God: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30, 31; see also Acts 2:22).

The disciples/apostles also performed many signs: “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people…” (Acts 5:12; see also 2 Corinthians 12:12). These signs demonstrated to the people the truth of Christ and His Word (Mark 16:20; see also Acts 2:43; 14:3).

While the association with signs was used in a positive sense many times, the Bible gives us warnings about relying just on signs.

As Moses was preparing the Israelites to enter their promises land, he gave them this warning:

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”

Deuteronomy 13:1-4

Jesus also warned, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24; see also 2 Thessalonians 2:9).

So, how can we know if it is a sign?

The way we can tell if something is from God is to refer to the Word of God, verifying the truth in its proper context. Not manipulating the Word or taking it out of context to sign off on a wrong desire.

This is what Moses taught the children of Israel. Going back to Deuteronomy, he told them, as noted above, “Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him” (v. 4). In that, we see, if there is a sign or wonder that doesn’t align with God’s Word, God’s commandments, then it is not of God.

God will NEVER contradict His own Word (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18). This truth alone is our solid basis on whether something is right or wrong.

Moses warned that if the sign or wonder that was performed is drawing hearts away from God and His truth, then it is not of God: “And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods… Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet” (Vv. 2-3a).

We must stand solidly on the truth of the Word. If a sign, wonder, teaching, etc. contradicts the Word, then it contradicts everything God stands for.

Everyone must be determined to follow the truth of God in their own heart and not just by what they see with their eyes. Moses told the Israelites, “The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (v. 3; compare Deuteronomy 10:12, 13; Joshua 32:5; emphasis added). This is what Jesus tells us is the “first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37, 38).

Therefore, to find out if it is a sign, we must ask, is this drawing us away from God, out of His will, or is it drawing me closer? Because if we love Him, if our hearts are for Him, we don’t have to rely on signs. We rely on pleasing God in whom our heart is connected.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic). See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

Scripture graphic with 1 Peter 4:8 about love covering a multitude of sins, Christian encouragement, and healing grace.

The Healing Power of Love

August 19, 2025October 3, 2025Leave a comment

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

Love, in earnest, can be a balm to a heart broken by the bruises this life sometimes leaves. Earnest love simply gives; it does not demand perfection or dwell on faults but looks to the heart within each person. It is concerned with the person on the inside, without basing rash actions and feelings on outward stumbles from grace.

Do you know one who can use this covering love in their life? Has a life been touched by error and negativity? Could they use the heart of another speaking to them, “I’m still here for you.”

God’s steadfast love rescues, restores, and covers us. As such, we, who were once recipients, are now dispensers and have the power, through love, to lift another from their struggles.

Real love works through patience and is very kind toward others (1 Corinthians 13:4). It does not keep records of every wrong committed (1 Corinthians 13:5). Instead, it releases offences over and over again (Matthew 18:22) and just continues to love.

Have you ever been denied this kind of love from the Father? The answer is no. Time and again, we have sought His perfect love to forgive our many wrongs, and by His grace and mercy, He did (Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:17).

Now, we are to be glad vessels ready to pour out to others the same love we have received, for “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends” (Proverbs 17:9).

Is there a heart waiting to be on the receiving end of this type of love today? Let go of everything else and love like Jesus loves. You may help heal the brokenness of another.

You Are Special and Wonderfully Made

August 15, 2025October 3, 2025Leave a comment

Yes, you, dear one, are special. You are made completely wonderful in the eyes of our God (Psalm 139:14). You are a unique creation. You are designer original. There is no one quite like you because you are specially made to be, well…, you.

So, to what others may think. When the Lord fashioned you, He knew your characteristics and the way you would think. Don’t hide them but celebrate those tidbits of you that make up you.

Perfection, according to others, you may not be, but God sees more in you than you could ever believe. Grab hold of that beautiful truth, my friend. Let it rest deep in your heart. Let it permeate the crevices of your mind. You are His. He created you. Before you were even a concept in the womb of your mother, before the new beginnings of life were imagined, God beautifully knew you (Jeremiah 1:5).

Whether you believe it or not, you are so indescribably special to the Father above. When He sat molding you, one can only imagine the time He took to make you perfectly the beautiful you that you are.

At the potter’s wheel, He framed your purpose. He built inside wonderful gifts. With much care and attention, He fashioned you.

Run with the thought of all you are to Him today. Let the truth of His perfect design for you prompt you to continue to move forth in faith to where He is calling you, because you are specially made for this.

Nothing about you was left to chance. You are here on purpose and with a purpose, especially designed for you. Can you see it? Can you awaken your heart to believe it?

The battering of this world can speak so harshly against God’s design. But designed you are, and as long as you have it in your heart to believe in the wonderful you He created you to be, you can take on this day and His will for your life in confidence without missing a beat.

Whatever comes your way, be reminded of the unique love the Father has for you, and lay to rest everything else that speaks contrary to His truth.

Embracing Peace and Refusing Strife

August 12, 2025October 3, 2025Leave a comment

“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife…” (Proverbs 20:3). There are some things we do not have to welcome into our lives. There are contentions we can choose to ignore. Some arguments don’t need our rebuttal.

Peace is so often forfeited because of the need for one to interject their opinions or to get involved in the things that matter much for nothing except to stir up the pot of strife.

Stop. Do not allow yourself to be pulled into what is fruitless. It is easy to offer your voice in a matter, but some things do not require your voice or participation.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). If it is not promoting peace and seeking a resolution of love, walk away. Where there is one who consistently seeks to disturb the fruit of the Spirit bearing peace (Galatians 5:22), pluck not from their branches, no matter how savory or sweet the delicacy may seem.

As a child of God, stopping and viewing this situation through the eyes and heart of God will help us to make loving decisions. Prayerfully take inventory of the situation before you, and ask, “Where is this leading?” “What end is this trying to bring about?” “What motives are seeking manifestation through personal involvement in this?”

If there is a negative response to these questions, then there will be negative fruit and actions as a result. Stop now, my friend. Refuse to attend the argument. Refuse to waste the precious resource and gift of today by not sowing into things that end in bitterness and strife.

There are 86,400 seconds given to us on this day. Each one is precious. Each one is to be cared for like the treasure it is. Each one is so important that it should not be wasted on things that tear down, on things that promote the opposite of God’s will for your life. Instead, Colossians encourages us to, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (3:15).

Your moments. Your seconds, minutes, and days can be used for better things, more worthy of your precious time, other than discord. There is a special beauty in choosing to stop getting involved in what is fruitless and start promoting things that edify.

Instead of involvement in contentions, let us focus more on the giving of love. Giving of those things that beautifully promote grace and life. And the giving of those things that seek for peace.

Walking Faithfully Before the Father

August 8, 2025October 3, 2025Leave a comment

Photo by Sebastian Voortman on Pexels.com

“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”
Proverbs 4:25-27

Some of the moments I most enjoy as a grandparent are when I have the chance to take my grandchildren to the local playground. Here, their adventurous side emerges as they attempt to accomplish new feats such as climbing higher, swinging with more experience, or sliding faster than the day before.

More than once during this time, I will hear, “Grandma, can you help me?” Especially when it comes to the balance beam. Although it is low to the ground, the challenges of walking with one foot in front of the other on that narrow implement can make the bravest little hearts nervous about falling. Taking their hand in mine, I steady them until they are confident to do it on their own.

For these little ones, and us big ones, focusing is an integral part of our walk. And it will determine if we end up with the desired results we had hoped for when we first started out.

Proverbs 4:25-27 (above) offers us wise words to help keep our course correct and walking faithfully before the Father on the “narrow” path we are called to (Matthew 7:14).

Advancing along this path of life, first we are instructed to “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee” (v. 25). Where the eyes lead, the heart will soon follow. What has your attention has your life. Whatever you fixate upon holds your reins and steers your steps in its direction. Just ask Eve, Achan, and David (just to name a few) whose eyes steered them away from God’s perfect purpose for their lives and into sin. So, Proverbs tells us to keep our focus straight.

A wayward focus leads to a wayward heart. A stern warning given by Solomon a few verses prior, accentuating the importance of keeping the instruction of what is right “in the midst of thine heart” (Proverbs 4:21).

Secondly, we are told, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (v. 26). Whatever flows through the eyes and lands in the heart, it begins to direct the heart’s choices or one’s thinking. So, not only are we to be direct in our focus, but we are to be equally intentional with our thought life.

Walking with our physical bodies is something many do instinctively, naturally, not giving the whole of one’s thoughts to the hows of it all. They just get up and do it. But when it comes to our spiritual life, we cannot just follow every urge or natural human instinct. We, who seek to walk supernaturally, must have our steps guided by godly, spiritual thinking.

We want “established” steps that are firm and sure. As such, we cannot adopt every idea into our thoughts. But we must carefully strain out the negative, the natural, the ungodly – and “ponder” the right ways (comp. Philippians 4:8).

Lastly, Proverbs 4:27 promotes rigidity. A refusal, at one’s core, to be moved: “Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” There is no room for compromise. On the balance beam and in life, it is your core strength that will keep you steady. A slight shift here or there can alter your center of gravity, leading to a fall.

Jesus, in one verse, gave us an easy way to remember these three points together, making sure we are moving in the right direction, the right way, by teaching us, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). This one verse keeps our eyes, our thinking, and our heart focused on our core strength who is our Heavenly Father. When we have Him as our primary center, our feet will stay on the steady path.

Often we are given to praying as the psalmist did when he said, “Order my steps in thy word…” (Psalm 119:133), and that’s good. But that does not negate our personal responsibility. Before each action taken in Proverbs 4:25-27, there was a command of responsibility for the individual: “Let,” “Ponder,” and “Turn not.” These are personal, conscious efforts that each person is to take to ensure they are walking and moving in the right direction.

Personal accountability for our spiritual walk can not be delegated to another. We must choose with heart, mind, and soul to walk faithfully and live in a way that is pleasing to God.

God is our very present help!

August 1, 2025July 23, 2025Leave a comment

Dear Friends, are you in a present time crisis? Has trouble found you when you least expected it and at the very wrong time possible? The wonderful thing about being connected to the wonderful, heavenly Father is that no time is an inconvenient time for Him to come and help – even right now, presently.

God is never bound by the limits we experience or others we may run to for a source of hope and strength. God is also the only One who not only knows us completely through and through, but He knows more about the details of our struggles, hurts, and pains than any other. In His omniscience, there is no part of us – no part of anything we endure or go through that He is not aware of. As such, there is no other place, person, or thing where we can truly find the satisfaction of help where we need it the most.

Please, do not misunderstand me. God is not to be beckoned and treated as if He is an imaginary genie to grant our every wish on a whim. No, but He is a promise keeper and so much more, who invites us to come to Him and seek His face – seek what He has to offer and trust His will and His timing – trust Him alone and above all during the times of conflict and uncertainty.

He, in His perfect love, is concerned about you and the things that are presently before you. And, He knows that you are concerned about them too, and thus, He has allowed these assurances of His love and willingness to be available for help to be declared over and over in His holy Word, such as what the psalmist wrote when he said, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” (Psalm 46:1).

There are times when I need Him in all those areas. I need to find that in my weakest moments, in Him I can obtain strength. When the storms are angry and blowing tempestuously in my life, He is my refuge and safety. And yes, when troubles in any shape and form rear its ugly head, that God is our very present help – our right now source through it all.

Oh, if only every day were sunshine and rainbows, but alas, we know that there will be times when things and situations stir that makes us uncomfortable, shake us a bit, or cause some unsure feelings to arise. But, the truth of what the psalmist wrote still stands just as sure today as it did when it was originally written, and the summation of that verse states that God cares deeply and lovingly for you. Why else would He concern Himself with your present circumstances? It is His love for you that compels Him. It is His concern for you that causes His eye and heart to see what you are dealing with and moves Him to come to your aid.

Come, and take comfort in these blessed words that speak of His help and care for His people, and for you:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” (Psalm 46:1-7)

Reposted from September 23, 2020

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic). See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

Word For Life Says…

God's Word for Your Life Today!

Month: August 2025

Is It a Sign?

The Healing Power of Love

You Are Special and Wonderfully Made

Embracing Peace and Refusing Strife

Walking Faithfully Before the Father

God is our very present help!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: