I Believe In Miracles!

"Today's Devotion" For October 19, 2005

Read: John 10:22-42; 11:14,38-45; Psalm 77

I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!

"This, the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him." (Jn. 2:11)

"Miracles happen" is often the phrase used when something goes right when, for all intents and purposes everything should go wrong. "It's a miracle!" is a phrase often used derisively when someone has no regard for the ability of another to accomplish something. Have you ever noticed how often people use the term "miracle" haphazardly, and forgetting the very powerful working of God that a miracle really is?

How about you? Do you believe in miracles? Do you REALLY BELIEVE in miracles, i. e., that God can suspend the laws of nature to provide special blessings to His beloved children? If you believe in miracles does that mean that you truly trust that God can do anything and can make good things happen despite all evidence and circumstances to the contrary? Are miracles real enough to you that believe a miracle to be a special act of God through which He provides us with the assurance that we are His and through miracles He encourages and strengthens us in our faith?

People all to often use the term "miracle" loosely, thus taking away the special, positive impact on people's lives when God brings a miracle to pass. Frequently, people find themselves looking for a "miracle" when what they really should be looking for is the Lord's presence in their lives, the guidance of the Spirit, and the assurance of faith in Jesus that leads to forgiveness and eternal life. This becomes exceedingly clear in the many emails that are sent around the internet sharing a poignant account of God's grace and love in action and then asking that the recipient pass it on to others. The promise that's often attached to passing the email along to others is that God will perform a miracle in one's life. It becomes an abuse of the true nature of a miracle and the purpose for which God performs them. In the same way a woman praying for a "miracle" that will assure her and her family that, despite her husband's company fiscal problems, such problems will have no impact on the family. While the first woman is praying for a "miracle" for her husband's company, another is calling upon God to perform a "miracle" in her and her husband's life so that their finances might improve (for some such situations might truly need a "miracle") and their home might be saved while he's out of work. While these are the kinds of things our Father in heaven invites us to bring before the throne of grace, they aren't miracles; they are God at work guiding and blessing so that we might overcome difficult situations and provide for our basic needs. .

If you really want to see what a miracle looks like, take a look in the mirror. What you'll see is the most tremendous and difficult reclamation project in the history of the universe. That same picture applies to all of us, for there is no greater "miracle" than when God takes us by the hand and leads us out of the despair that Sin brings into our lives. Real miracles occur each time we kneel before the throne of God's grace, seek His forgiveness, and are assured that we are not only forgiven but are promised eternal life in Jesus. Real miracles occur when in the midst of being overwhelmed by diseases, illnesses, money problems, and any number of other challenges, God provides through the touch, prayers, love of others solutions and healing, growth and enrichment in the Spirit. Every time we share God's love in Christ Jesus with lost sinners and they come to repentance and faith, a miracle occurs. Every time we face the pounding seas, the blustery winds, and the hurricanes and typhoons of life, and God calms the seas, quiets the winds, and stills the storms, giving us life and hope, the greatest miracles are being performed. Every day of our lives, according to God's love for us, our Father in heaven performs miracles in our lives so that we might remain in His loving arms, upheld in the palm of His hand, and strengthened for service to Him and others in Jesus' name. I can assure you that “I believe in miracles!”

Prayer: Father, I need a miracle today! I need Your forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love in Jesus Christ. I need You to remind me by Your Word and Spirit that You have made me Your very own child in Christ Jesus and that I experience the miracle of Your forgiveness each and every day in Him. As I walk through the "storms" of life, help me to seek Your guidance and to see Your hand at work in my behalf. Guide me in my life of faith, trusting that You will see me through every difficult time, giving me the courage and strength necessary to overcome each day's challenges. Father, work the miracle of faith in the hearts of those who don't yet know Your love in Christ, and make me an instrument to bring that about. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright ©2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.