Miracles In Our Midst

March 20, 2017 

Verse for the Week: 1 Peter 3:15; “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”

Miracles. Miracles are the stuff of great stories. They soar high with wonder and travel far with awe as God makes a swift brushstroke of his brilliant Glory through the lives of all who are blessed to experience His miracles.

Last week I was reminded of such an experience. My kids and I joined family and friends and co-workers to celebrate a real-life miracle—a man who in an instant stood at the door of death and yet was spared.

Although the trauma may have left invisible battle scars unseen by the naked eye, he stands before us now without any physical ramifications. And every time I see this man, I am reminded of the power of God in our midst.

How about you? Have you ever received some news that seemed to have a certain end? Are you praying for a real-life miracle of your own?

I know for me I pray for one every day. I pray for God to heal my son with autism. It humbles me to say that out loud for fear that it may never happen. But the God we serve is all powerful and regardless of how He answers my desperate and consistent prayer, I choose to trust Him.

And who knows even though God hasn’t taken away the limitations of autism for my son, there are little miracles along the way that I am ever so blessed to be a part of.

For instance, I’ve witness how his pervasive innocence can soften even the hardest of hearts—tiny miracle.

I’ve also seen a community come together in support of him, encouraging and cheering him on to be his best even though it’s very different from their best—tiny miracle.

And one of the coolest things to watch is how my other kids reach beyond themselves to help him find his voice in a sea of chaos, and to find his place in this crazy world where he tends to color outside the lines of the status quo—tiny miracle.

All of these things—tiny miracles in our midst. They represent tiny blessings of hope, of joy, of goodness, that stop us in our tracks and cause us to breathe in a hint of divine glory.

A great example for us is found in Daniel chapter 3 when King Nebuchadnezzar commanded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down and worship the image of gold or be thrown into a blazing furnace—certain death.

They refused and this infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar. When he challenged them, this was their response:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 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 3:17-18)

In no uncertain terms, they proclaimed the power of God and yet left enough room for the will of God to determine their ultimate fate. It is in this little caveat of space where the three letter word “but” holds a very sacred place. To feel the gravity of it, go back and reread the scripture above and emphasize the word “but”…

They knew they were facing a certain death. Even so, they took a firm stand holding fast to the hope for which they were called. And even though this is depicted in the old testament, it is a foreshadow of their hope in Jesus Christ as He met them at the door of death  (inside the blazing fire) and ushered them out; unharmed and unbound without even the hint of smoke (see the whole story in Daniel chapter 3).

Christ is our hope and regardless if it’s in His will to change our circumstances here on earth or when our feet touch the pavement of heaven, let’s choose to trust Him, believe in Him, and let our hope carry us through the most grave of circumstances.

I want to encourage you this week to keep your eyes open to see the power of God in the big and small happenings of your life. After all, life is precious. Life is fragile. Life is full of potential miracles.

So don’t give up. Keep praying. Keep asking. And while you are waiting, watch for the little miracles in your midst. Don’t miss them. They are precious gifts from above.

Prayer:

Lord, Open my eyes to see you and all the miracles you make happen in my life and the lives of those I’m blessed to be around. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hugs for a great week and remember, you are not alone. Be blessed and keep yourself open to see the miracles in your midst.

Dori