Have you ever asked God for a sign? Maybe to help you decide something, or just a sign that He exists and cares about you?

He doesn’t make a habit of providing signs on command and doesn’t usually encourage asking for them (in fact, He specifically commands us not to test Him), but He’s not entirely opposed to providing signs either.

There are many examples of God providing signs of His existence and His plans (the rainbow after the flood, the burning bush, the star of Bethlehem) and several more examples of God agreeing to provide a sign to a specific person in a specific situation (Gideon’s fleece, Hezekiah’s steps, Moses’s staff).

There is even one example of God telling someone to request a sign. To underline His promise of deliverance, God offered King Ahaz a sign — whatever he wanted. But Ahaz demurred. God, frustrated by Ahaz’s cowardice, provided one anyway.

“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah‬ ‭7‬:‭14,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

God’s sign to Ahaz was also a sign to all of humanity. For Ahaz, it simply provided a timeline for his deliverance. His enemies would be defeated in the time it took to conceive, birth, and wean a child.

But for the rest of us, this prophecy pointed to Jesus. The sign of a virgin giving birth and providing deliverance to all people.

I’ve experienced signs of God in my life, some big, some small. But the sign of Jesus is the only sign I really need to know who God is and how much He loves me.

Dear God, thank you so much for revealing yourself to me in myriad ways throughout my life. Keep me alert to your continued presence and activity around me. Forgive me for always asking for more, when you already gave so much by sending Jesus to fulfill the prophecies of old and save me from my sin.