Leviticus 19:1-20:21
Mark 8:11-38
Psalm 42:1-11
Proverbs 10:17
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CityLight Pastor Commentary:
“But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation'” (Mark 8:12). This is the only time in Jesus’ entire life where the Bible says He ‘sighed deeply.’ Why was Jesus so discouraged that the people around Him wanted a sign? Because they asked for one in doubt: to ‘test’ Him (v 11). We should not test God and seek a sign from a place of doubt; we must instead trust God and expect a sign from a place of faith. Conditional faith describes a deficiency whereby we insist on seeing evidence before we believe in God’s sovereignty. Jesus addresses it specifically when He tells His disciples the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31), and calls it unacceptable. If we require a sign from God before we believe in Him, we will never see one. Once we accept Him, however, we will be given all the signs we seek. God has already displayed enough signs for previous generations; now this generation must give Jesus its heart.
Prayer:
“Father, help me to trust in You from a place of faith, and never test You from a place of doubt! I’m going to believe in Your supernatural power, knowing that when I do, I’ll see it!”