A long time ago when I was heavily pursuing my wife, I would go over to her house a couple of times a week (7 days actually). Sometimes we would stay up well into the early mornings watching movies. After one of those marathon nights, I was driving back to my house. It was late, and I want to get home to go night night! As I was rounded the corner, I passed the same old 35 mile an hour sign (going 45). Well, on this late night the Claremore police was on the prowl! As I passed the rec center, I caught a glimpse of someone parked on the other side of the building, and this wasn’t just someone, it was the CPD. So as everyone knows when you think you have been caught you go into prayer mode. I was on the God hotline asking Him to give me a break this time, and let the cop be blinded by my speeding. Obviously, God must have been in the bathroom because this policeman was hot on my tail, lights a flashing. So at that point, I first swallowed my heart then I pulled over. With sweaty palms I rolled my window down, and then was blinded by the oversized flash light of the policeman. I could not speak for seconds, I was paralyzed! Then the light subsided, and I saw the cop. At this moment, everything went back to normal because I recognized this guy. You see only a few years earlier, I had taught his son in school. On top of that, I had helped his son when he had fell and scraped his knee on the playground. So I knew I had a few brownie points with this guy! So he gave me the quick “slow down” speech, and told me to have a nice night. As he walked away, I am sure he could hear me screaming for joy!

Now we pass speed limit signs all the time! Do they make us go the correct speed? No! I have never witnessed a speed limit sign jump off a pole and make me go the correct speed limit. So if they don’t jump off their poles, what do they do? What are they? The speed limit sign is a symbol. It reminds us what to do!

God sent a rainbow in Genesis 9:8-17 as a symbol that He would never send a flood like that again. It’s like when we first get our driver’s license, we are entering an agreement with the state that we will obey the traffic signs. Then the state puts up signs as symbols to help us remember our agreement.

 God uses symbols to remind us of deals we have made. In Bible times, usually the people would stack rocks on top of each other to help them remember. Now you can create your own alter without stacking up a bunch of rocks. For instance, I have a bracelet that has the words “Believe” and “Psalms 18” inscribed on it. It helps me remember that our God is a powerful God (not a whimpy Christian), and that we should always believe that He is going to come through for us. I also have a craft that stays in my bedroom that my daughter made for me that says, “To my dynamite dad”. When things get stressful, I look at that and it is a sign of the commit that I have with Delainey. So those are few examples of things that are signs or symbols in my life. What about you? Some people where bracelets, rings, necklaces, etc… to help them remember things from God.

Signs or symbols will change the way we live our life. They are not magical, but they do keep our focus on the things we need to be focused on. They are like the dreaded 35 mph speed limit sign. They don’t make us go 35! They do remind us what we should do and who God wants us to be!