(Editor's Note: Today's Guest Writer is Parker Kathleen May)
Some of the best Bible stories are the ones where something extraordinary happened. I’m talking about the astounding miracles seen throughout the Old and New Testaments, where something that seemed to defy all logic and understanding happened. These are the things that make non-believers think the Bible is a work of fiction because there is no earthly way that it could have possibly happened.
When we look back at the many wondrous miracles in the Bible, it is easy to wonder why we do not seem to see them today. Why do we not see people walk on water or heal the sick? Are there miracles today?
People usually take two extremes when it comes to miracles. Some believe that anything good that happens is a miracle or they over-exaggerate something to become a miracle. The other extreme is the belief that miracles do not exist. Miracles are just crazy spectacular things that either never happened or do not happen anymore, and that is the end of the discussion.
Other misconceptions that people have about miracles are that we have the power to do them. Now, we can indeed do some spectacular things, but performing miracles is not one of them. We like to think that we can do anything and everything but forget that the power to perform miracles comes from God. Even the disciples and prophets were not able to perform a miracle by themselves; it was an act of God.
A basic definition for the word “miracle” is “a miraculous event that cannot be explained by scientific or natural means that is considered to be the work of someone or something else.” For Christians, that someone or something else is God. Miracles are not just dumb luck, but divine intervention from God; and even though the ones Christians like to showcase from the Bible are grand, it does not mean that all miracles are huge and showy. We can think of miracles in two categories: flashy and subtle.
Flashy miracles are the ones that are seen many times throughout the Bible, the ones that defy the very laws of nature. In the Old Testament, prophets performed many miracles - Moses parting the Red Sea and Elijah calling fire from the sky. The New Testament focuses on the miracles performed by Jesus and his disciples, which showcase healing the sick and injured, raising the dead, and casting out demons.
There is a common factor to all miracles. Each is loud and noticeable. It is as if God is saying, “Look at me and what I can do!” As well as helping people, God is trying to get the message out that He is real and the one and only God. He wants people to recognize Him and what He can do, so we cannot deny Him.
Some miracles seem to answer a need and are not public knowledge unless we want to tell people. While we tend to focus on the flashy miracles in the Bible, there are plenty of subtle ones. For example, Hannah was barren, but after praying to God for a son, He delivered her wish. Another time was when Daniel came out of the lion’s den unharmed.
People can look at these kinds of miracles and think that it is either a coincidence that it happened or that it was by the power of man. But we should not be ignorant of the power of God at work. Just because we do not see or understand everything that is happening does not mean that God is in any less control.
Now, while we don’t usually see the flashy logic-defying miracles of the Bible today, we do often see subtle miracles. While some people do not believe that, there is some supporting evidence that miracles can still occur. Two common things associated with miracles are faith and prayer.
Do you think that the prophets or disciples could do what they did without having faith in God? It is recorded in Mathew 14 that when Peter walked across the water he began to sink when he looked away from Jesus. In response, Matthew 17:20 states that if we have faith as big as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Faith can do amazing things when we put our belief in God.
Prayer is also essential for some miracles to happen. First Peter 3:12 tells us that the Lord is listening to our prayers, and Matthew 7:7-8 tells us that we can ask, and we will receive. Sometimes it is required for us to ask, just like when Hezekiah asked for deliverance from the Assyrian army in 2 Kings 19.
There is no reason that miracles could not happen today with faith and prayer, especially when God wants to provide for us just like Philippians 4:19 says He does.
We may not see people walking on water, but that does not mean that there are not any miracles. It can be an unexpected injury or illness that healed when the doctors said it was impossible, or it could be the way that you were able to make all your payments this month when you thought you couldn’t. We just need to remember that miracles can still happen, and no matter how they appear, it is because of God.
