Show Me a Sign!
16Turn to me and be gracious to me; give strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. 17Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see me and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
—Psalm 86:16-17
Have you ever been driving through an unfamiliar area and got completely lost, or at least you think you are lost? Truth is, you are not really sure. Am I lost or not? I remember driving around a rural part of New Mexico at night not sure if I was lost. All I wanted to see was a sign, something, anything to identify where I was at (of course this is in the pre-GPS days—no one gets lost now). When we on those dark nights on a long winding road, we just want to see something, anything to give us a sense of direction and clarity and assurance that we are not lost and alone.
I think David felt the same way at times. In Psalm 86, David offers a wonderful prayer to the Lord. Early in the prayer, David acknowledges his need for help, grace, and joy. Then the psalmist reminds God of His greatness and steadfast love. “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”(v.15). Amen! But the thing that grabbed my attention the most in this prayer comes in the final verse where David offers the request: “Show me a sign of your favor” (v.23).
In certain seasons of life, most things are going along great. God’s blessing on us is evident, and we have a clear direction for our lives. Answers to our prayers seem to come quickly. But then there are other dark seasons of testing or trials where the answers to our prayers seem far away. Even God Himself seems far away; all we can do is cling to the steadfast love of God and wait. And wait. And wait.
In seasons like this, we need to follow David’s example and ask God to show us a sign of His favor. Not demanding immediate answers to our many prayers, but simply asking God to show us a small sign of His favor on our lives. Maybe it will be God’s strength to go through one more day. Maybe it will be help in an unexpected area. Maybe it will be comfort coming through a friend or simply a quiet peace in our hearts. I can’t tell you what it will be, but rest assured that when God’s child asks Him for a sign of His favor, a sign of favor will be given.—Luke Ahrens
Journal:
· Am I feeling like I am lost and far away from God lately?
· Have I asked Him to show me a sign of His favor? Do I feel comfortable doing that? Why or why not.
Prayer – Father, my eyes are on You. When I look around my life, I just see conflict and suffering. Sometimes, even though I know You are close, You feel so distant. Please grant Your child a sign of Your favor! Help me to feel Your presence as I wait on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
