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do any of you have any info or ideas about visable signs from God? i think it's the most selfish thing i've ever done, asking God to show me in a physical way the answers to some very tough decisions...or for just confirmation of hope.

it's a long story...but the main question is am i foolish for thinking i've seen signs?

like...for instance...practical things, like if they man walking over there goes LEFT it means something. however he could go RIGHT, or he could stop walking or turn around or keep going straight. so it's not like a 2 answer yes and no thing that insures some arbitrary meaning...there are many outlet for it to mean nothing.

some signs i feel like i've gotten are pretty serious...but i dont even know if this is something God would do...it would only serve to help me feel better inside. what do you think?

Mat 12:38  "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Pilgrim

sorry but i dont entirely follow. it's not the same thing in that scripture as what i m asking.
i m not asking for proof of God, i m just asking for wisdom through tangible signs.

if it's a wicked man, what about the burning bush? or donkey that spoke? or the angels that came down to talk to humans?
the bible is full of very tangible "go do this" signs for mortal humans.

so i m not so sure it's anti-biblical.

When God used the talking donkey it was to a bad prophet.

The burning bush was not a sign .... it was God Himself speaking from that bush.

I am not so sure about signs being unBiblical either. God does use them and He speaks of them in the New Testament in several places. The problem with signs is that people look in the wrong place for them and expect God to show us a sign here or a sign there. Many times He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit if we but listen instead of looking for signs. It is like Doubting Thomas needing proof of something, not just God, but other things, instead of relying on God to open the doors to the way He wants us to go and closing the doors to where He does not want us to go.

I hope that I am being clear here and not more confusing.

Hello DontBeSoJumpy,

I see that you are new to the forum, so WELCOME!


I'm probably not answering your specific question, but I'll reply with what's on my heart. I don't look for signs from God for several reasons: 1) I already have the Holy Spirit of God living in my heart;  2) I have zero doubt about the absolute TRUTH of God the Father, God the Son - JESUS dying on the Cross for me, and God the Holy Spirit who leads and guides me.

I would agree with Pastor Roger that study of the Holy Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit is a very high priority for me. I also pray for help and guidance in understanding portions of Scripture that I study every day. When I think about this question, I think about "Doubting Thomas". I'm the opposite of a "Doubting Thomas". I do want to emphasize that faith comes by hearing the Word Of God. In terms of proof and evidence of TRUTH, the Holy Bible is full of it from cover to cover. The Holy Bible proves itself countless times, and the only way I know this would be possible is for the Holy Bible to be the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD. YES!, I believe that the HOLY BIBLE is GOD'S WORD given through men to write and record.

I can't count the number of times that I've known God was working in me, through me, and for me. I have a personal fellowship with GOD, and I know that HE wants to hear my prayers. I do receive leading and guidance from the Holy Spirit, most specifically when I am yielded to the Will and Purpose of GOD. I have the actual proof in my heart and daily fellowship with GOD, so I don't need any signs or ask for any signs. BUT, I do feel and hear the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. I also know to wait upon the LORD when I pray.

A Christian walks in the SPIRIT by FAITH. That means that no Christian will have total proof for everything, and much will always be by FAITH. If I had the ability to show every "Doubting Thomas" absolute proof, witnessing would be easy. Walking in the SPIRIT by FAITH means a lot of prayer and a lot of study. If I could show absolute proof for FAITH, it wouldn't be FAITH. I can't show you the inside of my heart, but GOD knows my heart.

I hope that some of what I said makes sense. FAITH is the key. The Law of Faith In JESUS CHRIST has set me free from the curse of sin and death. A lost person does not receive PROOF for FAITH or it wouldn't be FAITH.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 8:28 NASB  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

yes, it's more confirmation than signs.

i m in a situation that is completely out of my control.
it's the most hurtful, complex, confusing time of my whole life. and this thing effects my future, my life, my happiness.

i know God is with me, but at times i feel so forsaken, alone, and generally lost. floating alone in this ocean of misery.

my whole life, i've tried to let God guide me. but i know i've gotten way, way off track. i feel like he's brought someone amazing into my life but i wrecked it. now i'm learning all i've done wrong and what i have to do to fix it , but i dont feel like i know if i should fix it or if fixing it will even work.

when i feel the most lost and confused, i just pray, and the situation becomes more how i want it to be. then something terrible will happen and i get more confused. when i "let go" and ask God to just show me what's best, it's usually goes how i want it to.  but i dont know if it's my will or His...you know? i cant make this other person act in any way...or do what i want, but...i dont know.

i m scared...mostly because the capacity i have for being extremely hurt is very very high. i m in a precarious position where i could be demolished, but i dont know what i should do.

so. the question is more about..i dunno. i say 'ok, God. i cant control this. i dont know what to do. let them come to me if it's right. it's simple--i will do nothing. if they dont come to me, i wont chase. that way i know, because i dont want to control this situation just because i want it to work out."
so i let go.
and it comes to me.
so i feel strongly that God's will is done...
until something terrible makes me more confused.

which is where i am now...

Hello DontbeSoJumpy,

I might have some idea about what you are going through. All I can tell you is what I would do:

1 - Pray and pray some more.

2 - Get quiet with the Word of God.

3 - Consider - is this what I want or is this what God wants for me.

#3 is many times in conflict, and older Christians begin to learn that what God wants for us is not always what we want. In those times, it's a matter of yielding to the Will of God and waiting upon the Lord to learn what He wants for us.

I think that you are talking about a relationship. If so, I think that is especially serious and worthy of prayer and waiting on the Lord. If I'm right, it would even be more important if you were thinking about marriage. I know that many Christians get in too much of a hurry in this huge decision. If things don't work out before marriage, maybe you are miserable and hurt for weeks. If things don't work out after marriage, maybe the misery and torture is stretched into years and even involve children who must also go through the misery.

I feel extremely blessed to be married to the same woman for almost 34 years now. We raised two children, and we are now watching our grandchildren grow up. I would NOT say that we did everything right, but I would say that God did everything right for us. We were also engaged for a year. This is a huge decision that can effect your whole life, so it is worthy of prayer and waiting upon the Lord. If I guessed wrong about the issue, please accept my apology. However, I would say that all important decisions for a Christian should involve prayer and waiting upon the Lord. I hope this helped you some.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 4:19-20 NASB  And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

yes, it's about a relationship.

it's such a long story...but she's my soulmate.
or i'm dead wrong.
i love her in a way i never knew i could...we were going to get married.
but she left me, and i realize now a lot of mistakes i made. it's a sad story...
i loved her, and while i didnt mistreat her i did certainly fail to treat her as good as i needed to...
that is to say, she has special needs. she's got certain obsticles she has to overcome to be able to love wholey...big roadblocks that made me feel unloved a lot of the time. it's not because she is bad or wrong, but only because she didnt know how. instead of meeting this with kindness as i should have, i put strains and demands on her to BE with me in the ways i needed. she wanted to, but just couldnt...too much emotional walls to deal with. she has been massively, MASSIVELY wronged in her life many times and it has taught her to fear people. she feels love is only a device designed to make you hurt worse in the end...because people will always hurt you.
that wall made me feel unwanted sometimes, and i acted wrong and ended up pushing her futher away and making her feel more like she needed emotional walls to protect herself from me.

finally it came to a head and she left, and slowly i've been shown (by God) all my mistakes. i'm reading several gary smally books and others as well, all of which have shown me how to be the person i always wanted to be.

she began to work with me, we slowly began rebuilding.

then her house burned down, which sure seemed like a BIG meaningful event.
she wanted to stay with me til she got things settled, so she did for 2 weeks.
we grew closer...but something was amiss...i could tell.
she was 'with' me in a lot of ways but refused to commit.

i have realized now it's because there are other men she's involved with now.
it's crushing...
but i have to realize i did the same thing to her.
we were on a break because she was not emotionally "with" me a long time ago, and during that seperation i felt alone and unwanted and started seeing other people.

so...
i let go of this and gave it to God. she came back to me, and did a few hurtful things that made me think "what does God want?!?"
then...
you know...her HOUSE BURNS DOWN and she wants to stay with me
which sure seems like a "hey, get your act together, get your priorities in line" type of thing...right? i mean...it means something...
and we grew closer, as expected.
and it all seemed like it was God's will.
but now  know about all this stuff she's doing that hurts me...
but at the same time, i know it's not 'who' she is per se, it's more that she's depressed and feels like i wronged her, so she's looking to be fulfilled in wrong areas. she even admits this and says she's not happy, but she's also worn out with the emotional gravity of her and i and is tired of dealing with all the hurts and wrongs and sorting it all out.

and i agree--
however, i know something real exists between us.
and i understand most of what she's doing now, even if it crushes me.
i know i messed up by not growing spiritually and emotionally as i should have when i had the chance. but i am now.

but i feel lost and confused because i dont know what God wants. and i know that no matter how much i want her, if it's not meant to be it's just not going to happen.

but i dont feel like i know for sure. some things have been extremely tangible signs--
i would bawl and cry out and plead for God to give me a sign--something--because i didnt want to hurt or hurt her.
and the signs were VIBRANT and tangible...

but then something terrible will happen, like i find out about the other guys and all her lies, and because i find out, she changes what she wants from me...

so at this point, i m lost as i could be.

so i guess...all of you...just pray for us. what's best...
no more aching and suffering for either of us...
that's fair, right?

Brother, the Lord knows exactly what you and this young lady are going through. He is the Author and Finisher of your faith, put all your trust in Him and He will guide you. He loves you so much He knows who you mate is, He has already chosen your mate for you, let Him work in your life and in the life of the mate He has for you. Don't try to rush into anything let God have His way in your life and in the life of your lady friend. Just give it all over to Him and don't take it back, leave it in His hands; He is more than capable of making all things work for the good of those who love Him. Pray, pray, pray. God answers prayer. I too am praying for you. I would like to leave you with something to think about, please don't misunderstand me and if I am wrong please forgive me, but if you lady frien is not born again, before you even try to have a deeper and permanent relationship pray for her salvation, if she has already been born again, than maybe you should invite her to church so she may rededicate her life to Jesus. It is not bad a lot of Christians do stray, we are like sheep, and how many know that sheep tend to stray and wander away, that is why we need our Shepherd. As long as we allow our Shepherd to bring us back into His flock, He will guide us in the right path.

Hi dbsj,

air is right. God should be foremost in any realationship if that relationship is going to have any real chance of being a good one. The first questions I ask couples that come to me is, are you both saved? Do you put God foremost in your life?

I recommend that couples pray together every chance they get. Be intimate in your prayers. By this I mean to pray about your relationship and the things that seem to be a problem between you. Doing this together shows your sincerity for wanting to work out those problems. Not only is this great for your spiritual life but it is also really good for your relationship together. It helps to break down those walls that people build up against others, building the relationship into something very dear and lasting.

If this lady friend is not saved and not willing to go this route with you then I strongly suggest that you stop where you are. Trying to get through these sort of problems without God in your and her life is extremely hard if not impossible.

Hello DontBeSoJumpy,

I will definitely be praying for you.

In reading your last post, I would have the opinion that it would be a bad mistake to get serious right now. There appears to be too many problems, and seeing other people is not an indication that it is time to make any kind of commitment. It really sounds like you would be asking for a LOT more misery. The main thing I would say is please slow down and pray about things. Maybe things aren't working out for a reason.

Love in Christ,
Tom

Psalms 139:13-14 NASB  For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

prayer and wisdom is all i can ask for...

i feel bad because i dont think i've accuratly portrayed both sides in these posts.

the hardest thing i'm dealing with is, yeah, right now i'm being walked on. i m at home, learning how to love, giving all that love to her, and she's out doing whatever. but...this is the conflict: i did this same thing to her in the past. i didnt mean to, i didnt even understand what i was doing, but i did. it used to be her going to the library alone, reading books, trying to be a better person for us. and i was callous and wrong to her during that time. and it was me going out with my friends, male or female, feeling like i had a right to do as i pleased because she "wasnt being with me the way i needed her to."
so on top of doing the wrong thing, i also blamed her.
i was so wrong.

now the tables have turned, and tho i feel hurt and abused, i keep thinking "now i understand what i did wrong."

i do want only God's will, and i cannot see it clearly. before, i felt enlightened by Him and excited with what messages i recieved, now i feel like i accidently hung up and now He wont answer my calls. i dont know how or why i feel so abandoned and alone now, but i do. so i will continue to pray.
i am not seeking to rush into anything, i know our road is long (if we even do fix things) but i just dont know if i'm causing myself more harm by sticking it out right now and being friends. i know if i shut that door, i'll have to really shut it and move on and let go in a way that means all this progess, love, hope, will all be lost.

part of me fears that letting go like that will end up hurting me more because i might have lost something more valuable than i can ever get back.
all this pain i feel now is with it's own lessons--i've learned and grown is MASSIVE ways since this whole thing unravelled. i'd venture to say i never knew exactly what true love was until i realized what i had lost and how i had failed her so greatly. now my heart breaks for all the pain i caused her..because i was so foolish and selfish and wrong.

so i see the value in what is happening now...i know that no matter what i have learned a life lesson and i will be a better, stronger person now.
but i feel so confused about what expectations for a future i should have. and that's it--wondering what to expect.
please keep me in your prayers, i m weak, tired, and this is consuming. my heart rate has been sky high for a week--to the point my chest physically hurts and i have to go to a dr.

all i've ever wanted in life is to be loved, and i feel like i had it but blew it. now i feel like i m doing what i have to do to be a better mate, but she doesnt believe me, and she's also taking a bit of advantage of me. but again...i think i did the same to her...so...

God. help me, please. thanks all. this really helps.

i just want His will....