Just a little while ago, feeling a little down and discouraged – it’s been a rough few days, spiritually speaking – I thought out loud to God, saying:
“Lord, is there anything I wouldn’t give to see something tangible with my own eyes? Something to encourage me. Something to increase my faith.”
Almost immediately I heard a still, small Voice speak to my conscience, “Then it wouldn’t be faith, would it?”
Yeah, it was convicting. Are His promises not enough? Should I be any less obedient to His revealed Word if I never have an epiphany? Is the illumination of the Spirit of any less value than a beam of light?
We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).
Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).
What I should be praying is, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” Then, following faith, God can use a “sign” as confirmation.
If the sign comes before the faith, then the product will not be true faith, for “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).
The Recovering Legalist 
He still gives me signs. Did so quite a bit in Scripture. It just tends to be times when I’m not looking for one, or times when my crisis is true heartbreak rather than just doubt.
He usually gives me “signs” but rather than a small whisper, it sometimes comes as a loud parental tone when I’ve done something very wrong. I know I’ve been told it’s my guilty conscious, but I often don’t feel guilty or shame until I hear God’s voice!
Wow! That sounds like something worth unpacking. Pastoral counseling is free 😉
Hi Anthony, I absolutely enjoy reading your posts. I have followed you for a couple of years now. I live in North Idaho and attend Real Life Ministries: Senior Pastor, Jim Putman. Our mission at Real Life Ministries is to learn to be disciples and then go out and make disciples. After I became a Christian fourteen years ago, I began writing letters to God. Then He would speak to me through my writings. I know it has to be Him because He has spoken of people in the bible that I hadn’t been familiar with as a young Christian. He puts words or messages on my heart and I always wrote them in my journal. My life has completely changed and those people and family members can’t believe I’ve become a “Jesus Freak.” The reason my husband and I moved from Oregon to Idaho four years ago was to be a part of Pastor Jim Putman’s church and ministry. I watched several of his sermons and told my husband I wanted to go to Post Falls, Idaho and meet this man. After we got back home to Oregon, I prayed and told God I knew this was where He wanted us. He asked me “Are you sure this is what you want? Are you willing to give up everything you have here and follow me, doing my work?” Well of course I was. A few days after that little conversation, I received a visit from the state wanting to audit my books (we owned a very lucrative property management company). While we were on our vacation to Idaho, two of my employees “tinkered” with the bookkeeping records that were online and decided to call the state to report “funny business.” They knew I was wanting to sell the business. I even paid for one of my ladies to get her license so she could buy the company (she had a different idea). For the next six weeks our lives became a living hell dealing with auditors and defending my repuatation. I eventually was cleared once they discovered that our bookkeeper was putting double entries of deposits in the computer with no receipts or bank deposits showing such things had taken place, but by that time the damage was done. The state ruled I was incompetent and closed my company down. My two employees had my list of clients of course so they sent them all letters annoucing their new company. I was livid, but I also had to acknowledge that I had asked God , I give all the glory to God. We put our house on the market and found the perfect home here both closed on the same day, just six weeks after I lost the business. My employee now has my company but I received a wonderful relationship with the Lord in a very Christian state, wonderful friends, a church family and the opportunity to learn to be a disciple. So, why am I telling you all this? I really don’t know. Maybe you do? I am new to blogging, but I love to write and I hope to be able to publish someday. Just thought I’d share.
Well, if nothing else, I’m humbled that you think so much of my posts. I appreciate the time you took to tell your story, and so transparently. No doubt there’s something in your comment the Lord will use as I ponder it. Thanks again, and God bless you. And may your former employee get a case of scurvy.