God’s Signs Are All Around Us

The other day, I was on my way home and decided to stop at the TJ Maxx near my job (not that I needed to). As I left, I approached a four-way stop. After stopping, I began to roll through the intersection just as another car begin to speed through the stop sign to the right of me.

I stopped quickly and stared at the driver. He stopped fast and looked back at me with the “you’re definitely the wrong one” face; I mouthed to him, “you had a stop sign.” He looked pretty unbothered and even shrugged at me, until he looked back and realized that there was, indeed, a stop sign in the place that he’d just slid through. His eyes widened as he realized what almost happened due to his failure to check his surroundings. He didn’t pay attention to the sign that was there for his protection, and mine.

Obey the Signs

“God, show me a sign!”

How many times have you had, or almost had, a figurative “head-on collision” because you missed the signs telling you to stop? I know I’ve had a few. Ones that definitely could have been avoided had I not assumed that I was familiar with the space I was in.

The false familiarity caused me to ignore the “signs” around me. There have been plenty of times that I have rolled on through stop signs and missed the chance to look back and notice that I was wrong. The result of me moving too fast was detrimental and proved to be the cause of many of my problems.

I have had to learn numerous times to obey the signs. It’s like that Louie the Lightning Bug commercial that used to come on when I was little – “you gotta obey what the signs say” (anybody remember that?).

Typically, stop signs cause you to wait your turn. I believe that my problem with the stop sign has been the waiting part. But when I go out of turn, I miss what would come to me when I am actually supposed to move. Or, in some instances, when I fail to stop, I collide with someone else, causing unnecessary tension and issues. When driving, going too early can cause an accident, as I almost experienced when heading home that day.

So, What’s the Play Call?

Signs are used in traffic to prevent accidents and other travesties. Signs are used in our various seasons to keep us on track with God’s will. Each of our signs will be different as we move along the streets of life. Here are a few things to help you heed the signs that will come up as you travel:

1. You’ve got to wait on God. Sounds simple but often we prefer to “yield” instead of “stop” when God instructs us to wait. You know, because yielding is kinda like stopping without all the waiting. The problem with yielding is that you never really come to a complete stop and this can cause you not to fully assess your current situation. It’s better to stop as you are instructed to by the Lord. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalms 27:1
2. When driving, you cannot close your eyes; that would be foolish. You must keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to others around you. In life, you must keep your eyes on the Lord and pay attention to the things that He allows to cross your path. “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NLT)
3. Sometimes, we may overlook this necessity when driving. If you aren’t listening, you may miss the signals for emergency vehicles, other driver’s horns that would let you know that they’re behind or beside you, etc. In our daily lives, we must listen for instruction from the Lord. We must listen for His voice. “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” Matthew 13:9 (NLT)

Don’t ignore the signs as your “drive” through life. Be sure that you are paying attention to the signals that may lead you to your next destination.