When Telling our Story Reminds Us of the Miraculous

Yesterday, I visited with three ladies who have lived in this area for decades. Over Turkish coffee and sweets, they shared fascinating stories of their lives, including experiences during the Six Day War in 1967 and the war in the 1970's. 

Toward the end of our time together, one lady suddenly remembered something remarkable. She spoke in rapid Arabic to her sister, who turned to me with a surprised look on her face. "Oh, yes," she said in English. "Miracles did happen back then. You're right." 

Many years ago, her sister was terribly sick with kidney failure. The doctors admitted her to the hospital and attempted treatment, but nothing helped. After a few days, they stopped everything they were doing and gave her the grim news. "You're not improving. You're going to die."

One of the nurses in the hospital couldn't bear the thought that this young woman was terminal. She summoned everyone to the chapel to pray for a miracle. They begged God to heal her, then waited to see what He would do.

Two days later, the sister's kidney function returned to normal, despite the fact that all treatment had been stopped. 

She was completely healed.

"How did you forget something so miraculous?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "It was a long time ago..." she told me, her voice trailing off. 

I can't get their words out of my mind. The memory of a major miracle faded to insignificance by the passage of time. They'd stopped retelling the story and simply forgot.

The ladies sat up a little straighter after they shared their miracle, their smiles spread across their faces. The joy of the Lord was renewed by recounting His great and mighty deeds.

Although there are definitely benefits to a written history instead of an oral one, retelling of stories of God's goodness serves an important function. It helps us remember His blessings, preserves our sense of wonder at the divine work in our lives, and fills our hearts with gratitude.

King David wrote about the importance of remembering the forgiveness, healing, redemption, lovingkindness, compassion, and blessings we've received from God. An amazing thing will happen when we recall God's goodness. Our youth will be "renewed." 

The word translated as renewed implies "polishing" or "cutting," much as one might polish and sharpen a sword. The process of remembering, in a way, renews the sharpness of our spirits and our minds and restores a youthful freshness.

If we want to be youthful in heart, even when our bodies are old, the solution is simple. Be diligent to remember the blessings of God.

Today, let's spend some time remembering all the good things God has done for us, His blessings, His miraculous interventions in our lives. As we savor our sweet memories, let's also share those blessed memories with someone else so that they, too, can be encouraged.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits...so that your youth is renewed like the eagle." (Ps 103:2, 5) 
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In case you missed the most recent post, here the link: Getting Rid of the Excuses and Pressing On 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Is Your Faith Big Enough to Receive a Miracle?

Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead as He walked along His way. One day, two blind men joined the crowd and began to follow Him. As they walked, they cried out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 0ver and over again.

Jesus kept walking. The blind men followed Him all the way to His next destination, calling for mercy as they went. When Jesus finally stopped, the blind men approached Him. 

Jesus didn't ask them what they wanted. He knew. Instead, He asked a question He probably still asks today. "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" (Matt. 9:28)

They did.

His response was to touch their eyes and speak words that frighten me with their implication. "Be it done to you according to your faith." (Matt. 9:29) 

I don't really want God to respond to my prayers in proportion to my faith. I want Him to respond in proportion to His Majesty, His greatness. To do something big in response to my smallness.

Jesus' words to the blind men make me wonder if my lack of faith has limited the answers to my prayers. I'm pretty sure the answer to that is yes, but I want to be done with small-faith-limited answers to my prayers. 

I want God to respond with answers as big as He is big. As profound as He is profound.

If I want big answers, this passage suggests I'll need bigger faith. 

I'm very concerned about the election tomorrow. I want God to do something bigger than I've ever seen before. 

I'm very concerned about my ministry, its direction, God's provision. I want God to do something bigger than I've ever seen before.  

I'm very concerned about family members who are far from their faith. I want God to do something bigger than I've ever seen before.

If I want God to do bigger, I'll need bigger faith.

If you're in need of a God-sized answer to prayer, why not do what I'm doing?

I'm asking God to enlarge my faith. It's as simple as that. Make my faith big enough to expectantly believe for a miracle in our nation, a miracle in my ministry, a miracle in my family. I want faith big enough to receive it.

Our nation is like a runaway train, roaring down the tracks straight into the abyss. We need God to intervene. Stop us. Turn us around. Bring a great awakening. A revival. 

It will take a God-sized miracle, and we need a God-sized faith, so let's ask for both. Faith to pray, and faith to receive. 

We need a miracle that we do not deserve. A miracle of mercy and grace. We serve a God who abounds in mercy and grace. 

So children of God, let's pray big, ask big, believe big.
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: What We Should Do If We Want Answered Prayers
#faith #miracle 

Five Characteristics of a Miracle and One All-Important Requirement for Having One

I was exhausted from 12 and 14 hour days, and increasingly desperate for a miracle. I wanted it now. I wanted it big. I did not want to wait one more minute.

I'd worked as hard as I could, as long as I could, for as many hours as I could. I was so far past exhaustion that I was to the point of collapse. Finally, the dogs and I walked across the levee into the pasture on the other side. I needed a few minutes to myself. No interruptions. No one wanting more.

 I'd planned a peaceful ramble across my land. As I rounded the corner, I started to weep. Big, heaving sobs. Rivers of tears. Loud cries to God. I sank to the ground, shocked by the intensity of my emotion, and let my tears mingle with the parched dirt.

When I was cried out, I walked for a while, numb with fatigue, frustration, and uncertainty. I'd done what God said. He'd done what He'd said He would, but He hadn't done what I thought I needed the most, and I wasn't happy about it.

The next morning, I opened my Bible to John 2 and began to read. It was the story of the miracle at Cana. Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine. His mother came to him and said, "They're out of wine." She clearly expected Him to do something.

In the margin of my Bible, written twelve years before, was the answer to the question I hadn't realized I was asking. 

How can I make a miracle happen?

I can't. It's that simple.

Here's a few facts worth remembering about miracles, drawn from the margin of my Bible:

1) Miracles happen on God's timetable, not ours.

2) The purpose of a miracle is not convenience, but to manifest God's glory and draw people to belief in Him. 

3) Miracles usually come when we have nothing of ourselves left on which we can rely, and no way to procure more. (Yes. When God is all we have left, we find He was all we really needed.)

4) Jesus' miraculous provision is better than the best the world can offer. 

5) Jesus' miraculous provision is always abundant. Water to 120 + gallons of wine. Five loaves to enough for thousands. It's always more than enough.

There's only one thing we must do to have a miracle. Obedience, especially when it doesn't make sense.

Topping out the ritual wash-water pots didn't make sense at all when they needed wine. Without the obedience of pot-filling, though, they'd have missed the best wine of all.

Is God asking you to do something that won't make sense to the world? Do it. 

Are you desperate for a miracle? Take your need to Christ and do whatever He says. It's that simple. It's that hard.

Obedience. Never easy. Always worth it.

"This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory and His disciples believed in HIm." John 2:11 nasb
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In case you missed the story of Sam's project, here's the link: Sam's Project: Rubber Boots for Barefoot Rwandan Children
If you'd like to give to help buy boots for the barefoot school children of Rwandan, you can go directly to the project page here: Help Sam's Kids. We're making good progress. More than 300 pairs of boots have been given so far. 10% of the need has already been met!

In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: The Sorry That Can Take You Straight To Hell and here's the link to this week's guest blogger: I'm Fine and Other Lies
#miracle #Jesus 

Waiting for Jesus, part 21: back to reality

He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!" And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. (Luke 8:54-55 NASB)

Her spirit returned. That means her spirit had left her body. We are not just a jumble of cells. We are physical and spirit, body and soul. In case you have wondered, every human on earth has both a body and a soul, (or spirit). Ultimately, those souls are under the command of Jesus, and one day they will receive direction from Him who cannot be disobeyed. This day, her spirit, just on its way to its eternal destination, was ordered back, and did exactly what it was ordered to do. The spirit returned to the child and she arose. 

This next action of Jesus always makes me laugh. He ordered her some lunch. Well, actually He told them to bring her something to eat. As a physician, when a patient tells me they are "eating better", I take it as a sign of significant improvement. More than likely, encouragement to eat was intended as an indication that her health and her life were restored. She was "real" and not a phantom or a ghost. She wasn't a zombie escaping the grave. She was a real, live girl. Their daughter was back. 

When we have waited through that dark night of our soul for the intervention of God in a desperate and difficult place, it is hard to believe when the answer, the intervention, finally comes. The grace of God is so amazing that it is hard to comprehend.  How do you respond to the truly miraculous? In this instance, apparently, they responded with food for the little girl. Nourishment. 

There are two important lessons from this. First is that, when God restores in a miraculous way, we still have to return to our "regular" lives, with the mundane tasks of living. In this instance, Mrs. Jairus had to leave the site of the miracle and prepare food.  We have to carry on while taking that miracle with us. We return to the routine, but we are to return permanently changed by what God has done. 

Second, when God restores our souls, nourishment should be uppermost on our minds. When Jesus called for food, you can be sure her mother did not bring dessert. She brought the most nourishing food in the house. So we, too, should be providing the most nourishing spiritual food possible for those whose lives have been restored by Christ, and that will come only from the Word of God. 

Perhaps it is a reminder for us as well. Nourishment is vital for both our physical and our spiritual health, and we should choose that nourishment well. What does your spiritual diet include? Do you have a steady diet of Bible study and quiet time with our Lord? There is a place for spiritual books, magazines, websites, and blogs, but nothing should replace the Word of God, the entree of Scripture. Everything else is a side dish or dessert. 

How is your spiritual diet? After her miracle, the girl needed nourishment to carry on, and we do, too. Let's make sure we get the spiritual food we desperately need. 

Adversity

“Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”  

John 9:3 NASB

When the child was born, there was great anticipation and great joy, until it became obvious that the much wanted son was blind.  Blindness meant that he would never have a job, a family, or  a home of his own.  He would never support himself except by begging.  Someone had sinned, or so it seemed, and sightless eyes were the punishment.  Those eyes remained sightless for many years.  The family remained in darkness, for they simply did not understand.

Finally, Jesus arrived.  His disciples, too, thought that the man’s burden was caused by sin.  “Whose?” they asked.  Jesus explained that the blindness had nothing to do with sin, but was simply an opportunity for God’s works to be displayed.  It was a demonstration that was not yet complete.

The blind beggar was just trying to get enough money to make it another day.  He probably never saw his life in terms of the miraculous things to come.  His parents probably did not either.  No one saw anything miraculous in his position by the temple that blessed day.  No one but Jesus.  When Jesus looked at the beggar, He saw a miracle that had been in the making for years.  It came to fruition that day, and the beggar’s sight was restored.

Do you have adversity in your life?  Does it seem to be never-ending?  Sometimes adversity is prolonged so that God’s perfect will can be accomplished.  Try looking at your situation from His perspective. Maybe what you have is not adversity, but a miracle in the making.