THE SIGN OF GOD'S PRESENCE
How well do you heed
warning signs? Many fatalities could be avoided if people paid attention to the
warning signs. When religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus, He gave them
a warning to avert spiritual disaster. The Ninevites recognized God's warning
when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented. And the Queen of Sheba recognized
God's wisdom in Solomon. Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message
of God for the people of Nineveh.
Unfortunately, the religious leaders were not content to accept the signs right
before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now
they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One and they fail to heed His message.
Simeon had prophesied
at Jesus' birth that He was "destined for the falling and rising of many
in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of many
will be revealed" (Lk 2:34 - 35). Jesus confirmed His message with many
miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all, His Resurrection. Jesus
came to set us free from slavery to sin and hurtful desires. Through the gift
of the Holy Spirit He pours His love into our hearts. God searches our hearts,
not to condemn us, but to show us where we need His saving grace and help. He
calls us to acknowledge our failings for what they really are, with true
repentance, humility and honesty. God will transform us if we listen to His
Word in order to come to an encounter with Him and, thus, allow Him to work in
our lives.
Jesus was and is the
sign of God present in the world. When was the last time you recognized His
presence? Perhaps it was in one of your family members, or someone you work
with, maybe someone you just met for the first time who is meek, lonely and
poor, or when you looked at yourself in the mirror. We need to ask Jesus to
renew our minds and to increase our thirst for wisdom. James says that
"wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason,
full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity" (Jas
3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. The single of
mind desire one thing, and that is God's pleasure alone. God wants us to
delight in Him and to know the freedom of His truth and love.
What do we thirst for?