Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength
among the peoples.”         (Psalm 77:14)

We’re all looking for a miracle at some time or another.
I need a miracle:     to help my son or my daughter…          to heal this cancer…
to pay my bills…     to get through to my husband/wife…
so that my dad will quit drinking…     to get through the day…
so that my mom will not be depressed…
to stop eating or drinking or smoking…
of self-esteem, to feel valued…
All these things God can do! Jesus demonstrated this miracle power many times. He healed the sick woman who, believing in His power and grace, simply touched His robe (Mark 5:24-26). He healed the crippled man in Capernaum whose friends lowered him to Jesus from the roof (Mark 2:3-5). He gave the woman at the well dignity and a new life (John 4:1-42). He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43).

We often think of a miracle as a resolution of something we want or need at that moment: to be healed of a disease, to have our kids change, or to have someone we love stop a destructive behavior. And when we get that miracle, it’s great and wonderful and easy to share, to rejoice over with others.
But what if we’ve prayed and wished and hoped, and He doesn’t give us the miracle? Could it be that in His plan, a different sort of miracle than what we are asking is occurring, not as a complete miracle as we envision, but as a chance for a new, changed life? Often it means an outcome that is different from what we would have chosen. Some miracles we may not understand or see until we get to heaven. Given our limited understanding of how God works His will in and through our lives, we often experience outcomes which are left unsettled and still searching for the miracle. Try as we may, we are unable to wrench miracles from God’s hands. And thus, we are forced to really lean on God and trust in His plan.

In the midst of our desire for an answer, He blesses us with the miracle of perseverance, the ability to hold on, to persist in prayer, or even, sometimes, to let go of our wishes. Often, it’s in our quest for change that He changes us! And He gives us the grace to make it through.
But the ultimate miracle that He gives us is eternal life, a new life. He can take us from a life with no peace and give to us — even in the midst of trouble, heartache, or pain — a life of hope and purpose, saving us and changing our lives both now and for eternity.
What miracle could be yours today?