When the light came on, I knew immediately: this wasn’t about the car.
Friends, I want to tell you about something that happened to me this week. It might seem small at first. Mundane, even. However, I’ve learned—through years of ministry, through prayer, through watching and waiting—that spiritual signs daily life presents us are rarely what they appear to be.
My check engine light came on.
Now, the world would tell you: take it to a mechanic. Get the code read. Pay whatever they want to charge you, then move on with your life. But as I sat there in the parking lot of the Kroger, staring at that little orange light, I felt the Lord speak to my heart. Consequently, I began to understand something deeper.
What The Light Really Meant
This wasn’t about the engine. Instead, it was a warning. A spiritual diagnostic, if you will. God was telling me to check what was under my own hood—to examine what was going on beneath the surface of my life that I’d been ignoring.
The spiritual signs daily life shows us are everywhere, after all. They appear in the weather. They emerge in the news. Furthermore, they manifest in the small inconveniences that interrupt our routines and force us to stop and listen. The Enemy wants you distracted. He wants you to just fix the problem and move on. But God, on the other hand, wants you to hear the message behind the problem.
I mentioned this to my wife Tammy. She said, “Wayne, you should probably still take it to the mechanic.” However, I explained that the mechanic would address the symptom, not the spiritual root cause. She went to bed early.
Finding The Message
Additionally, I believe this: nothing is coincidence. The light came on at Kroger. Do you know what “Kroger” means? I looked it up, and it’s German—the founder’s name. But in my spirit, I heard something else entirely: “grow.” Therefore, the Lord was telling me to grow. To check my engine—my spiritual engine—and expand my faith.
Some would call this reading too much into things. Others would call this confirmation bias. I call it faith, however. Because faith is seeing the spiritual signs daily life puts in front of you and choosing to respond accordingly.
My son Kyle, who lives downstairs and works at the vape shop, said I should just take the car in because it’s probably the oxygen sensor. He showed me a YouTube video about it, which seemed trustworthy enough. Nevertheless, I noticed the man in the video never mentioned what God might be saying through the oxygen sensor.
The Message For You
Therefore, I want to encourage you: pay attention. Notice the lights. Watch for the signs. Look for the moments when something breaks or falters or demands your attention. Then ask yourself: what is God saying through this?
Maybe your check engine light isn’t about your car either. Perhaps it’s an invitation. Or a warning. It could be a call to ministry you’ve been avoiding, or a relationship you need to repair. It might even point to a basement where your adult son lives that you should probably talk to him about more.
The spiritual signs daily life reveals are gifts, ultimately. Don’t waste them.
I still haven’t taken the car in, by the way. Tammy drove me to Kroger this morning. We’ll see what God says next.
Amen.
About the Author
