Do You Believe in Miracles?
Do You Believe in Miracles?
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” -Mark 10:27
IN TODAY’S technologically advanced world, there are few people left who believe in miracles. Many people find excuses to write them off, and even those who claim to be Christ-followers sometimes react in surprise when they see God answer prayers that are way over the top. And yet, if we believe the words of Scripture, we know that God is a miracle-working God. Perhaps that belief itself requires us to step out in Crazy Faith. I’m coming off of one of those over-the-top prayers and God’s answers this week.
A dear friend who interprets for us in the Dominican Republic and serves as a missionary suddenly came down very ill and entered the hospital. This eighteen-year-old man was a picture of perfect health. He developed a high fever, his blood seemed to be pooling in certain areas of his arms, and the doctors were very concerned. When our family and friends here in the States found out, we sent out a plea for prayer to everyone we knew. More reports from the hospital began to come in. Words like “leukemia” were used. Soon they talked about spinal taps and chemotherapy. Our friends on the ground in Puerta Plata asked for more and more prayer. Christian radio stations began to share this with their listeners, asking them to join in prayer for healing. It seemed like the worst was yet to be.
But then. Don’t you love those words?
Even better, but God.
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The spinal tap results came back from the United States two days after he had left the hospital feeling better and returned home. The results said his blood count was normal. No signs of anything. Doctors were left scratching their heads while his family and friends in the DR wept with joy. As news reached back to friends in the United States, people began to praise God. A miracle happened.
Personally, I believe that miracles happen every day. Sometimes we’re too busy to see them. We run our hurried lives, striving to meet our own needs and, frankly, leave no room for God to work miracles that we would consider “legitimate.” I think where God really wants us to live as Christ followers is to be so far out on the limb of Crazy Faith that God has to work miracles that we can see. Not in a careless way as if to try to make God work a miracle because we have stepped out in stupidity, but rather to live with such total surrender that we are dependent on the miraculous.
We find the story of this type of person in the gospel of Luke. Elizabeth is married to Zechariah and is hoping for a child. Zechariah is a member of the Jerusalem priesthood and Elizabeth, well ... she’s well beyond child-bearing years. In fact, she was just past menopause, and her husband had given up on having a child. In those days, not having a child was looked upon as a disgrace. Zechariah felt hopeless. And Elizabeth ... she continued to pray and seek God.
It came about that Zechariah was at the temple to offer a sacrifice, chosen by random lot to enter the sanctuary. Or so it seemed. It was nothing but divinely orchestrated by God. Nothing is random with God.
When God asks you to step out in crazy faith, rest assured, He has been and is working behind the scenes.
Is there somewhere you need God to show up and show out?