Last Monday, as I drove across the bridge from Williamstown into Marietta, the sunrise grabbed my attention. As usual, it was stunning to see, with its different shades of gray, pink, red, and maybe a little bit of orange and pale blue. The planet Venus and the moon still shone, though the sun was starting to wake the day on the eastern horizon.
Of course, as I continued the last few minutes of the commute through town, the thought of rain and inclement weather throughout the day popped into my mind. “Pink (or red) sky in the morning, sailor take warning. Pink (or red) sky at night, sailor’s delight.” Jesus makes mention of this very thing in Matthew 16:2–3: “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’”
It did not rain on Monday (at least not here at the corner of Sixth and Washington). You see, signs are not always what they appear. There may have been other things going on in the atmosphere that were beyond my scope of reason. Tuesday morning, the sunrise showed similar shades of pink and red, and it did rain. Sometimes signs are exactly what we think they are.

If you have paid much attention to weather forecasts throughout the span of your lifetime, you have probably noted that many times the forecasts turn out to be incorrect (particularly the ones that are further away from the present day). Much money has been spent on college degrees and technologies in meteorology so we can get a good feel for the kind of weather that is approaching us, and therefore plan for our day and sometimes the next ten days accordingly. It helps us decide what kind of clothes to wear. Will we need to wear a windbreaker or something heavier? Will we need to take an umbrella? Should we leave a little earlier to get to work on time and safely?
Another possibility of signs and “forecasting” is that not only will we misinterpret them, but we may not fully understand because we only hear or see what we want to, or what our imaginations can handle. A couple of weeks ago, the forecast said that the high for the day was 63°. I was so excited! I would be able to work out in the yard and maybe get some pre-spring cleaning done. It had been warm the day before, so it made sense. However, when I woke up the next morning, it was cold, and according to the day’s forecast the thermometer would rise no higher than the lower to mid-thirties! What happened? I did not think to check the timing of the day’s high temperature. It was in the wee hours of the morning!
So, what’s the point? As you are aware, there are many who constantly look for signs. They will observe events in the skies such as solar and lunar eclipses. They will take note of the planets and their relative position to the constellations. Then they will plan their day and maybe even their year based on their specific birth date and cosmic events that took place on that day, and so forth.
Now, how can objects that are hundreds of thousands, millions, and even light-years away guide us through our lives? Those signs that the astrologers use are vague at best and fraudulent at worst. These things are not godly nor accurate. They do not lead one to God, nor do they encourage one to put their faith in God’s guidance. Why should one trust the “signs” in the stars to guide them when they can put their faith in the One who made the stars and calls them by name? He will guide you through your life through the light of His Word (Psalm 119:105). It is true. It is certain. Be encouraged to follow Him!