4 Common Signs From God

Isaiah 38:7

So you believe that God wants you to do something and you’re looking for a sign. But how do you know exactly if a sign is coming from God or it’s just your imagination? What are the ways God sends signs? There are many instances in the Bible where God gave his people miraculous signs, is it possible that He’s still performing those miracles today? I most definitely think so! However, as Christians, we ought to be careful when reading signs, lest we think a sign is from God when in actuality it’s coming straight from the enemy.

It’s easy to interpret that something is coming from God if we desire it. We can convince ourselves that our will is also God’s will, and rush ahead making bad decisions based on something we think is a sign. God may use a sign to let us know if He wants us to step out in faith (7 signs God is telling you to step out in faith) or maybe he’s asking you to trust him more. Whatever reason you may be looking for a sign from God, it’s important to back up everything that you believe with the word of God.

“And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;” 

Isaiah 38:7

Searching through the Bible, we can find some common ways God uses signs to direct his people. We can use these Biblical principles in our lives to determine if a sign is coming from God.

Here are four common signs that God uses:

1. Use of Nature

Time and time again we see God using nature as a way to communicate with his people. I’ve heard of people receiving signs from God through clouds, trees, and even animals. This may sound a bit silly if you haven’t experienced it yourself, but believe me, the idea of God using nature as a sign is a very Biblical concept. Let’s look at three examples:

1. God uses dew on a fleece of wool as a sign that Gideon was chosen to save Israel –Judges 6:37-40
2. God uses the sun and shadows to indicate 15 more years of King Hezekiah’s life. –Isaiah 38:5-8
3. Jesus curses a fig tree and teaches about faith.-Mark 11:12-14 & 20-22

Perhaps God will use some aspect of nature to give you a sign today.

2. Sends someone else

Another common sign that God sends is via a messenger. Especially in the Old Testament, God sends messages to His people through prophets.

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 

1 Peter 1:21

I’m sure you’ve experienced this. Maybe you’re sitting at church listening to the sermon and the Pastor says something that deeply resonates with you. And you feel like the sermon was written for you.

Or perhaps a friend or family member gives you an answer to a problem you’ve been praying about. It’s possible that God sent someone to tell you exactly what you needed to hear. Three examples of God sending a sign via messengers include:

1. God sends the prophet Nathan to rebuke King David-2 Samuel 12
2. God sends Jeremiah to warn of the incoming danger from Babylon-Jeremiah 20
3.  John the Baptist foreshadows Christ’s earthly ministry-Mark 3

3. Dreams

We have to be very careful with this one. I mean, you certainly can’t take every ‘pizza before bed’ dream you have seriously. The mystery of dreams is yet to be uncovered by scientists but from the Bible we see God using dreams to predict the future or give a warning to his people.

I believe that God still uses dreams to communicate to His people today but I also believe that every dream/vision must be backed up by the Bible. God will not give a sign that is contradictory to His word. Three examples of God using dreams to send a sign include:

1. Joseph dreams he becomes a ruler-Genesis 37:9
2. David dreams about end-time events-Daniel 7
3. God warns Joseph to flee to Egypt with baby Jesus-Matthew 2:12

Related Post: 7 Signs God has sent you the one

4. Word of God

Most importantly, God provides signs using His word. I cannot stress enough how important it is to confirm all perceived signs by the Bible. We must ask ourselves “Does the Bible confirm this sign?” Is what you think you should do, actually what God wants you to do? One of the ways God communicates to His people is by His word. Therefore we can be sure that the guiding principles outlined in the Bible are signs of what we should do. Let’s look at three times in the New Testament writers used passages in the Old Testament to confirm their beliefs:

1. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, when being tempted by Satan in Matthew 4:4
2. Paul says in Romans 3:10 “There is none righteous, no, not one:” which he references from Psalm 53:3
3. Peter explains (in 1 Peter 2:6) that Christ is the cornerstone by quoting directly from Isaiah 28:16

There are many other examples of how God sends a sign in the Bible (angels, visions etcetera). Some of which we will discuss another time.

 Are you seeing a sign from God today? (You can let me know down below) Perhaps you want to go in a particular direction and you want to make sure. During your prayer time, ask God for clarity, dive into His word and trust in His promise to give you wisdom.

“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6

Prayer for Today:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being willing to communicate with me. Thank you for being clear in your word about the ways you give signs. Please help me to know for sure when a sign is coming from you. Give me a discerning eye and continue to guide me through this Christian journey.

Amen.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article today. If you have a question, query or story you’d like to share with me, please leave a comment or email me using the form below.