The Flashing Neon Sign...

I have often wished that God would give me a neon sign.

You know what I mean; the kind of sign you see when you go to a pizza place.

They sit in the outside window and flash ‘OPEN’ for the world to see. That’s the kind of sign I need.

Although, instead of flashing open, I have wished that God would use the light to answer my questions.

“God, do you really want me to go on this vacation?” or, “God, how much should we spend to fix up our house?”

In my unrealistic “CyndieLand” the light would then flash away like a magic 8-ball and tell me exactly what the Lord desired.

“No, Cyndie; don’t plan a Tahitian getaway this Christmas.”

Hmm…

Not too realistic.

You see, the truth is; the Lord doesn’t reveal himself in flashing neon signs.

A burning bush; maybe…neon signs…not so much.

But, God does want to reveal Himself to us. He’s not trying to be some mysterious figure that we can’t get to know.

In Luke 1:34, Mary asked the angel, “How can I have a baby, I am a virgin?”

Man, I bet Mary could have used a flashing neon sign at that point in her life.

Her whole world was just dumped upside down and she is left sitting there facing the angel who just delivered the most insane news.

But, notice what she did?

Mary didn’t retreat to some back corner, or even go to the local pizzeria in search of a neon sign from the Lord.

No; she simply asked. “How can I have a baby, I am a virgin?”

When I read that I couldn’t help but think about how complicated we often make our relationship with the Lord.

When life is getting confusing and I need God’s guidance, do I automatically go before the Lord and ask for answers? Do I pick up His Word (which is His guidance to us) and search it until I find what He wants for me?

Unfortunately, I think that far too often I am busy looking for the neon sign instead of going to the source.

The thing is; God wants to answer us. He wants to be a part of each and every breath we breathe. Let’s take a little advice from Mary and remember that sometimes it is best to simply go before our Lord and ask the tough questions that are on our hearts.

What questions do you have for God today?