Miracles.
Some people think that God doesn’t do them anymore. Some people think that it died with the early church. That only Jesus and his disciples could perform them.
People wonder why miracles seem to only happen in third world countries. Some of the ones that do believe in miracles think that they can only happen on a mission trip. That for some reason, Jesus only shows up outside of our American borders. We believe in the MIRACLE of salvation and saving our soul from eternal darkness but we have trouble believing for the healing of physical and emotional things.
I have a hard time agreeing with the ones that don’t believe in miracles and the ones that only believe in them outside of our country.
I think a lot of people, including myself, believe in a God that can do big things. That can perform miracles. That can open blind eyes and heal broken bones. That can restore sound to deaf ears.
We believe it.
But for me, I’ve always believed that He can do it but not for me personally. Not through me. I’ve always believed that He does it for “them”. Insert whoever you want into the “them” category. People in Africa. People in South America. Missionaries. Authors. Famous pastors.
He will do it for them but not for me.
For some reason, I have been content to read about miracles but not experience them for myself. I have been comfortable to tell people about a really cool book I’ve read because the Lord is just SO COOL.
But, what I am learning is that God wants to do miracles. He is a miracle maker. He is a God that created all things so can’t He heal all things? Can’t He restore all things? Doesn’t He want His people to be made whole?
I think, yes, we will all be made whole and complete in heaven… one day. But what if we believe that He wants to heal the blind eyes today? I’m no theologian. I haven’t been to bible college. I get confused about where the books of the bible are and I wonder how I can ever remember all the important details of the Word. The question of “why aren’t people healed even when we pray and pray and pray?”, is a valid question that I won’t even pretend to have the answers to.
I don’t know why God heals sometimes and not other times. I don’t know if people’s sin has anything to do with why they are sick. I don’t know if we have to conjure up enough belief to be healed or if the Lord does it just to do it.
I could probably find all of these answers in the bible. I could probably ask some wise people in my life. I could probably sit with the Lord and He would tell me.
What I do know is this… I saw the smile on the face of a woman whose pain in her hands immediately disappeared when we prayed for her. I saw a man utterly confused that he regained some vision in his left eye that was completely blind. A few on my squad saw a man with a limp, not limp anymore.
I’ve seen His miracles. I’ve seen His power. I’ve seen Him work like only He can.
I have no doubt in my mind that my God can perform miracles and that sometimes people are blind just so His power can be shown.
“It was neither that this man (a blind beggar) sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
John 9:3
This could be a bold statement but I believe that we see miracles happen the most in third world countries because the people only have God to depend on. They don’t have state of the art medical facilities and believing God for healing is all that they can do. Should we stop going to doctors? Absolutely not. God has blessed people to help with the healing process. Should we go to doctors for every little thing? Should we put our complete trust into their hands? Should we believe that they are the only answer to the things that we are sick from? I think, as cliché as it might be, we should always seek the Lord first and then seek human help.
The Kingdom is here. People are being healed all around me and I am absolutely blown away by all of it. He wants to do the same around you. Wherever you are. In your office. At the gas station. In your home. Healing isn’t just for those who can’t make it to a doctor’s office. It is a gift for all of us.
I believe it with all of my heart and soul.
I’m not content with reading about it anymore. I am hungry to see His power made perfect in weakness.
