Matthew 16.4 observes, only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

People always want God to prove Himself. God always wants people to demonstrate faith in Him. These two demands are in conflict with one another.

No matter what God has done for us its never enough. Yesterday is gone and today there is a new crisis for which we seek God to do something lest we fall away.

This behavior is described in the Old Testament by the people of Israel but is not unique to them or their time. We wrestle with God doing what we want the way we want when we want regardless of how He has taken care of us in the past.

As little children never cease to demand from their parents so too we seem to never cease demanding from God. While we expect this behavior from the toddler it is quite appalling from the young adult.

God requires us to live by faith and not by sight. God has also told us that this world will be troublesome for it is in rebellion against His good ways.

God has given us all of creation to remind us of His magnificence and His goodness if we will listen to it day after day declare the glory of God. God reminds us of Himself in our conscience; that His ways are right and when we obey Him we are strengthened in our belief that good will triumph over evil in the end.

God has recorded His will and His ways in His Word so that we can know for certain that He is and that He has good plans for our future. God has given us one another to encourage each other for we all face trials of many kinds and those who are concluding them are to strengthen those entering the same.

God will not always do the miraculous. God will not always respond to our demands. God is Father, He is King, He is the Lord of all.

God is to be honored and obeyed and loved regardless of our circumstances because He is God. Fortunately God is good, He is loving, He is kind, He is generous and He is merciful.

Therefore He does so much for us that is good, most of which is unacknowledged. God also has good plans in store for all of those who persevere in this life and not lose faith.

He will raise all those from the dead and take them to the land where there will be no more tears, no more pain and no more death.