When We Need a Miracle

There are life situations that people face where no amount of human intervention seems to be able to help and devastation looms. We need a miracle!

Both the Old and New Testament Bible recount stories of miraculous events. One Old Testament event is told in 2 Kings 4 (V.8-36) where the Prophet Elisha brings a woman's son back to life.

Elisha was a frequent visitor to the city of Shunem and this one resident built an addition to her home so he could have free and comfortable personal living quarters whenever he would come to town. In appreciation for her kindness Elisha asked a favor from GOD on the woman’s behalf. Within a year, and after having suffered years of infertility, she gave birth to a son.

When the child suddenly became ill and died, the woman went straight to Elisha who immediately gave instructions to his servant to go with her and help the child. But the mother refused to leave without Elisha himself – But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. Eventually we see that Elisha brings the dead child back to life. 2 Kings 4:30-35

Where do we go when we need a miracle?

Our situation is beyond human hope – no counseling, doctors, medicines, or anything else has brought a change. At such times, we get ourselves, friend, relation, or whomever to JESUS!

Just as the Shunammite woman had a history of one miracle with the Old Testament Prophet Elisha, the children of GOD have our own history with a New Testament miracle worker and Savior, JESUS CHRIST. And we have direct access to Him.

We must not sit still and look for miracles; up and doing, and the LORD will be with thee. Prayer and pains, through faith in CHRIST JESUS, will do anything. George Eliot

Miracles can be birth through faith – Matthew 9:18-26

In Matthew 9:18 we read of a member of the Jewish synagogue entreating JESUS to come home with him because his young daughter has died and he is certain that JESUS can bring her back to life. “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” JESUS agrees to go.

On the way, JESUS has an interruption – a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed” – but He is not annoyed by it. Instead, He responds to this woman’s silent and desperate plea with compassion, and He heals her – “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

JESUS being GOD and omnipotent is not out of miracles because of this one healing and He simply resumes His journey. At the synagogue leader’s home He goes into the girl’s room “took the girl by the hand, and she got up.”

JESUS is well able to perform any number of miracles but the simple child-like faith of the recipients in the story was what brought Him to the task. These received their miracles because of belief and faith – a faith bolstered by their knowledge of who JESUS is and what He has done in the past.

Our faith for a miracle must be in CHRIST and His power.

We too know what JESUS can do and has done, and we too ought to bring our dead issues and hopelessness to Him. But is our belief only in our “faith?”

Some of us know the story of the three Hebrew boys – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, from as far back as our childhood Sunday school class; Chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel.

These young men refused to worship a golden image of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar at the risk of losing their lives in a fiery furnace. When the king taunted them that no god they claim to know could rescue them from a certain death their faith did not waver.

• “…If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us…. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3: 16-18

GOD did rescue the Hebrew boys – a miraculous event in which someone else appeared in the fire with them and they were brought out of it with no injury, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Daniel 3: 27

Many Bible scholars suggest strongly that the fourth person who witnesses saw in the fire with the three, and described as “like a son of the gods,” was JESUS.

We ought to persevere in our petition to JESUS who today still has power to change things for us until we hear words like:

“Take heart, daughter: your faith has healed you.”

“The girl is not dead but asleep.”

“Take your son.”

However, we may not get the miraculous rescue from our “blazing furnace” like these other folks did. But because our faith is in the ONE who can do miracles and not in “faith” itself we will accept GOD’s Sovereign will in our case and continue to worship and honor Him as the GOD we serve.

   

Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego we must refuse to turn to anything that is not of GOD in order to make our lives easier, regardless of the risk. Our faith in JESUS must remain steadfast, even if he does not rescue us.

We learn in 2Corinthians 12 that the Apostle Paul suffered greatly with an undisclosed condition for which he appealed to GOD for relief, unsuccessfully. I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul’s response to being refused relief from his burden was not bitter resentment and blame but acceptance and trust in GOD’s sovereign will. Paul understood that CHRIST’s power never diminishes and we have access to it to help us endure beyond our own power – Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me...for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness…For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The fact is that JESUS always has power to work miracles and when to use it is also His sovereign choice. And we must accept without questions that His grace is sufficient!

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him…Acts 3:16

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Our good GOD and faithful Father. YOU have proven over and over in our lives that nothing is too hard for YOU. We thank YOU that even when the answer to our petition is not the one we want, YOU are faithful and good and kind and YOUR thoughts are higher than ours and YOUR knowledge beyond our understanding. YOU work out all things for our good and YOUR glory, never to harm or injure us. Father, we thank YOU for all your benefits – YOU heal our diseases, forgive our sins, crown us with loving kindness and redeem our lives from the pit through JESUS CHRIST, our Savior and LORD, our Miracle-giver, in whose precious NAME we pray!  Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile