Q: "Why are there no clearly visible miracles today that shout -- without a shadow of a doubt -- to everyone in the world: 'There is a God!'?"

our A: Many of us want strong, even overwhelming reasons to believe in God. Oh, there are strong factual and philosophical reasons to believe (see the section God's Existence).

But why doesn't God just exhibit himself in such a blatant way that people would HAVE to believe he exists? Even back in history there were people asking the same question. Why didn’t Jesus just reveal Himself? You would think that Jesus could have done whatever He wanted to do. Although Jesus had done many things that should have proven who He was and for many people He had. Yet for others who were skeptics nothing would have been enough. God is not required to do anything on demand. Yet it would be compelling if he would. If History can teach us anything it would be that God has shown himself and proved himself and that was not enough.

A good answer is presented by Philip Yancey in his book, The Jesus I Never Knew.

Jesus could have performed such spectacular miracles that people would have to believe in him. He could have healed entire towns with one mass proclamation. He could have taken present day New York City, complete with skyscrapers, subways, electronic neon billboards and dropped it right before them.

But he didn't. Why not?

God always upholds the free will he created us to have.

Yancey says, "More amazing is his refusal to perform and to overwhelm. God's terrible insistence on human freedom is so absolute that he granted us the power to live as though he did not exist, to spit in his face, to crucify him. I believe God insists on such restraint because no pyrotechnic displays of omnipotence will achieve the response he desires. Although power can force obedience, only love can summon a response of love, which is the one thing God wants from us and the reason he created us."

What God wants is for us to know him as our Father, Friend, Comforter, Counselor, Lord -- willingly, not under compulsion.

He has given us more than ample reason to believe in him (e.g., see Beyond Blind Faith). But he doesn't force us to know him. Even as Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one opens the door, I will come into him" (Revelation 3:20). He enters our lives at our permission. And if we sincerely want to find out if he's there and what he is like, he will allow us to find him and know him.

For info on having a relationship with God, see Knowing God Personally.