Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you?’” Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A Staff,” he replied. The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has appeared to you.” (NIV)

The story of Moses is one of my favorites because his journey emphasizes God’s power and the importance of his presence. In the book of Exodus, God asked Moses to return to Egypt years after he had fled and bring the Israelites out and into the Promised Land.  While reading this passage, one of the first things that I noticed was that although Moses questions why God chose him, he doesn’t ask God for signs; God simply provided them as proof of his strength. But as the story continues, we see God use Moses to share signs with Pharaoh, and despite seeing miracle after miracle, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let God’s people go. He refused to believe in God’s power, regardless of the signs he was shown. This isn’t an experience unique to Pharoah – we too may see signs but still choose to ignore or disregard them.  

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A similar story followed with the whole nation of Israel, as well. For a while, they were convinced of God’s power, but when they were not actively facing a sign, such as the cloud by day and fire by night, they turned away from God and made their own idols to praise and worship. The Israelites struggled to trust God and to be reliant on him when they couldn’t see him, which led them to turn to other idols in Moses’ absence, putting their faith in the things of the world.

Seeing is not always believing. Often, signs are revealed right in front of us, and we are presented with evidence of God’s love, but we harden our hearts like Pharoah or seek more proof. When we rely on signs from God too much, that becomes all that we depend on instead of our faith in God himself. Faith is about trusting God’s promises, his goodness, and the plan he has for you even when you’re unsure of what lies ahead.  

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Demanding constant proof from God will not get you anywhere. He wants you to talk to him, seek him, and read his word to know him and understand his plan for you. James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” When we open our hearts to receive him, we provide God the opportunity to use the tools he has provided us with to fulfill his plan. God has always been faithful, and he always will be. Without faith, any reassurance you receive from signs will be temporary. It doesn’t matter how many signs you see if you don’t have faith in the God who made them happen. That is why it’s so important to talk to him and dive into his word. God wants you to invite him into your life and connect with him so he may guide you and transform you. We must choose to trust him with the things in our lives and open our hearts to receive what he has for us.  

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When you know and understand the true nature of God’s character, your eyes will be opened to how he uses the things in front of you to do his will. When we are faithful in the things God has asked us to do, he will take care of the rest. When we feel like we aren't enough, we can know and count on the fact that he is – but we can only understand these truths by drawing near to him and developing a relationship with him.  As you continue on your journey of faith, ask yourself, “Am I more reliant on signs from God or God himself? Am I opening my heart up for a relationship with him, or am I allowing it to harden through disbelief and doubt?”

God, thank you for always being faithful. Thank you for wanting to have a deep and close connection with us. We know you have a plan for us and a unique purpose for our lives, but we can’t do any of it without you. You want us to draw closer to you so that you may draw closer in turn. Fuel us with the desire to invite you into everything and soften our hearts so that we may be open to your work in every circumstance. Help us to receive the strength and motivation to seek faith instead of signs and a relationship that's rooted in trust, not just sight. In your holy name we pray, Amen.