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Our God is a God of wonders (Psalm 136:3-4). As the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, God has the power to suspend natural laws in order to fulfill His purposes. Miracles were a part of the ministries of Moses, Elijah and Elisha, and of course Jesus and the apostles, and their miracles primarily served the purpose of confirming their message as being from God (Hebrews 2:3-4). Today, many people still seek to experience the miraculous, and some will go to great lengths to have that experience. There may be many reasons for such a desire, and Scripture gives us at least five:

1. Some people seek after signs and wonders because they want confirmation of the truth of God. There is nothing inherently wrong with this desire. In fact, God willingly gave signs to Moses (Exodus 4:1-9) and Gideon (Judges 6:11-22) to confirm His word. Miracles can aid a person鈥檚 coming to faith, as in John 2:23, 鈥淢any people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.鈥�

However, there comes a time when enough miracles have been performed鈥攖he truth has been proved鈥攁nd it is time to exercise faith. When Moses hesitated to obey after a series of miracles at the burning bush, 鈥渢he LORD鈥檚 anger burned鈥� (Exodus 4:14).

Also, it is nobler in God鈥檚 sight to believe without needing a miracle. Jesus visited the Samaritans, and 鈥渂ecause of his words many more became believers鈥� (John 4:41, emphasis added). Just a few verses later, Jesus rebukes the Galileans: 鈥淯nless you people see miraculous signs and wonders . . . you will never believe鈥� (John 4:48). Unlike the Samaritans, the people of Galilee required signs and wonders.

2. Some people seek after signs and wonders because they do not believe the signs and wonders which have already been performed. The Pharisees of Matthew 12 were just such a lot. Jesus had been performing miracles for quite some time when a group of scribes and Pharisees came to Him with an insolent demand to see another sign. In response, Jesus condemned them as 鈥渨icked and adulterous鈥� (Matthew 12:38-39).

They were 鈥渨icked鈥� in that they refused to believe the signs and wonders Christ had already performed. 鈥淚n spite of his wonders, they did not believe鈥� (Psalm 78:32). Their hearts were hardened towards the truth, even after numerous public miracles. Nothing would make them believe; their hearts were as pharaoh鈥檚, hardened after witnessing so many of Moses鈥� miracles in Egypt (Exodus 9:34-35).

They were 鈥渁dulterous鈥� in the spiritual sense, having left the true worship of God to follow a man-made set of rules and traditions. Not satisfied with the miracles Jesus was doing, they demanded something even greater. As commentator Matthew Barnes puts it, 鈥淭hey looked for signs of their own devising.鈥� So entrenched was their rejection of Christ that, when later presented with the 鈥渟ign of the prophet Jonah鈥� (Christ鈥檚 resurrection, Matthew 12:39-40), they still would not believe.

3. Some people seek after signs and wonders because they seek an occasion to excuse their unbelief. There were people in Jesus鈥� day who 鈥渢ested鈥� Him by seeking a sign (Matthew 16:1; Luke 11:16). Since they specified that the sign be 鈥渇rom heaven,鈥� they most likely wanted something spectacular, similar to Elijah鈥檚 calling down fire from the sky (1 Kings 18:38) or Isaiah鈥檚 causing the sun to reverse course (Isaiah 38:8). Probably, their 鈥渢est鈥� was designed to be something 鈥渢oo big鈥� for Jesus to accomplish鈥攖hey simply hoped He would attempt it and fail in the attempt.

4. Some people seek after signs and wonders because they are curious thrill-seekers. Like the crowds in John 6:2 and King Herod in Luke 23:8, they want to see something sensational, but they have no real desire to know the truth of Christ.

5. Some people seek after signs and wonders because they hope to get something for themselves. After Jesus fed the multitudes, a large crowd followed Him to the other side of Galilee. Jesus saw their true motivation, however, and rebuked it: 鈥淚 tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill鈥� (John 6:26). The crowd鈥檚 desire was not to know Christ or even to see more miracles; it was simply to fill their stomachs again.

Better than seeking after a new miracle is taking God at His Word. Simple faith is more pleasing to the Lord than a reliance on a dazzling sensory experience. 鈥淛esus told him, 鈥楤ecause you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed鈥欌�� (John 20:29).