Following the Signs

My family loves geocaching! If you haven't heard of it, geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache's existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS device can then try to locate the geocache. Tons of fun!

As much as we enjoy following the direction of our GPS receiver, we realize that finding the treasure we're looking for would be a lot easier if we had a guide. Someone who had been there before, knew exactly what we were looking for and how to find it. When it comes to geocaching, that may be less fun, but it would be easier! It's not unlike when you travel to a new city, and rent a car and follow a map or a GPS. It's not as easy to navigate as it would be if someone local picked you up from the airport and drove you to your destination; someone that had been there before, knew exactly what they were looking for and how to find it.

What are you following? Are you trying to navigate through life by following signs left by others or are you following Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit? Are you asking for signs to follow yourself or are you leaving signs for others to follow? As many "signs and wonders" as the disciples witnessed Jesus performing, when they asked Him to teach them something, they didn't ask for instruction about performing the signs. They didn't ask how to turn water into wine, or how to heal a man born blind, or how to raise the dead. They asked Jesus how to pray! (See Luke 11:1-13) They seemed to understand that it wasn't about the signs, it was about the Savior.

Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing. Mark 16:17 indicates that signs will follow those who believe. John 11:40 says, "Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?'" Take a moment to pray today that God would teach us to leave signs that others may follow instead of asking for signs that we may follow. (See Acts 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 11:1; John 4:48-53)