I find MIRACLES to be a daunting topic to write about. Not sure what images come to your mind, but I see Jesus calming the storm after being asleep on the boat, dividing a little boy’s lunch into enough to feed thousands of people, or comforting a grieving mother and raising her child from the dead. I think of the disciples spilling into the streets after experiencing the Holy Spirit or Paul reviving the guy who fell out of the window when he was preaching. I think of today watching video testimonies of men and women with restored sight or marginalized people reaching success despite overwhelming odds and hardships.
I’m not sure that every follower of Jesus sees one of those “biggie” miracles in their lifetime. Not that they aren’t happening today and not that I don’t ask for them. I would just propose that there may be something the Lord teaches in the example of those who came before us. When the Hebrew people were freed from slavery in Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, the Lord taught them to annually remember and celebrate the Passover. When they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, they were instructed to collect 12 large stones from the river bed to construct an altar on the other side as a remembrance. Jesus did the same thing at the last supper. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Those big moments were important and powerful for those who witnessed them as miraculous, and the stories have since been passed down from generation to generation. When people found themselves in the middle of a hardship, they were comforted with the reminders of hope that God did it before and could do it again. You see, Miracles Give Us Hope! This hope for the things unseen.
I often challenge myself to read a Psalm a day. The psalms are full of these “hope in the hardship” remembrance reflections. Psalm 77 struck me recently with this. It starts low:
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
And then in the second half the author begins to reflect on God’s previous miracles and feels the hope begin to well up:
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
I mentioned at the beginning of this blog that I didn’t think most Jesus followers necessarily experience the “biggie” miracles. And though that may be true, I do get to reflect back on my own simple, beautiful life. The valleys that God walked through with me remind me of my Healer, the recognition of my failures reminds me of my Savior, and the order in which these events were strung together points me to my Creator.
About the Author
Mike has been serving as an Assistant Pastor at CitySalt Church for over three years, while working as a part time stay-at-home dad to his two awesome children. He loves connecting with people over coffee to hear their story and helping people discover the fullness that God has for them through His Scriptures and His Spirit.