In the Land of Sign and Wonder

In the decades that I have been a follower of Jesus, I have never managed to have full clarity on the role that signs and wonders play in the faith life of a Christian. Like most people, I would be swayed, I suppose by events and occurrences not of everyday life, and yet would that make me believe any better and any more when I need faith to bolster me up above all else. I have to say that I don’t know; I have been witness to few if any of such occurrences and God certainly has not enabled me to perform any. However Since time immemorial, man has always been fascinated with signs and wonders. Those who are able to perform miracles are often put on a pedestal.  For example, Simon the sorcerer was hero worshipped for his magical feats. They thought that it must be God who endowed him with special power (Acts 8: 9-11).

In the Bible, signs warn and prepare people for what is ahead. Biblical signs always serve God’s purposes to instruct his people about himself. In Matthew 16, the Pharisees and Sadducees tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.  We too, can become overly reliant on signs and wonders. When one is overly dependent on signs and wonders, one can be so accustomed to them that he or she becomes paralyzed in their walk with God. Signs and wonders should follow the believer, not the other way round. When times are good, it is very easy to see the signs, yet when the storms of life hit, we often feel that signs are nowhere to be found no matter how hard we search for it.

When signs do not appear, we start to despair. Living a lifestyle of heavy dependence on signs will slowly destroy one’s faith, trust and vision in God. As Christians, we must learn to trust in God, not signs and wonders. When there is no manifestation of God’s power, it does not mean His power is not at work. God’s power is not determined by feelings, emotions or manifestation. While feelings are important in many areas of life, he noted, they are completely unreliable in matters of faith.

Signs and wonders and miraculous phenomena could not save a soul then nor can they now. The power of salvation is in the Holy Spirit working through the cross of Jesus Christ. But such miraculous phenomena “can, if God pleases, shatter the shell of disinterest; they can shatter the shell of cynicism; they can shatter the shell of false religion. In our modern age, many people are skeptical of claims of healings, miracles or any supernatural events. The miracles of the Bible are looked at as quaint fairy tales developed by primitive cultures to explain the mysteries of nature. Perhaps for such as a people as this and for such a generation as this: - skeptical and unbelieving, miracles, signs and wonders still serves a purpose.