God of Miracles
Do you believe in a God of miracles?
The Bible, perhaps surprising to hear, tells of few miracles. Certainly, supernatural events are replete in the Gospel accounts of Jesus, but in other sections of scripture, the true miracles are few and far between. Often, unexplainable events are attributed to natural phenomena. An earth-cleansing flood engulfed Noah’s compatriots, but this event derived from excessive rainfall (Genesis 7.12). During the Exodus, a powerful wind blew through the Red Sea, splitting the waters and providing a dry path for the fleeing Israelites (Exodus 14.21). When Joshua led the people against the heavily fortified Jericho, they packed only their walking shoes and some trumpets. After their repetitive marching, a few horns blasts, and some gleeful shouting, the walls of the impenetrable city crumbled (Joshua 6.20). Perhaps the reverberation from marching aligned the horn’s pitch created the perfect resonance to shatter stone. Perhaps Gideon, who at God’s direction went from 32,000 armed soldiers to 300 fellows carrying torches, was astonishing fortunate to bluff his foe and experience a sweeping victory (Judges 7.22). And perhaps David was just lucky to sling a stone at Goliath’s one place of weakness (1 Samuel 17.49). And consider Naaman whose leprosy was healed by dipping in the Jordan River, a miraculous action the he initially deemed too ordinary (2 Kings 5.34) Similarly, the New Testaments tells of “fortuitous” natural phenomena: a prominent star shines above the newborn Jesus (Matthew 2.2); the storm calms just as Jesus speaks (Mark 4.49); an eclipse darkens the sky just as Jesus dies (Luke 23.44); an earthquake enables an unused escape for the imprisoned Paul and Silas (Acts 16.26); and the bite of a venomous snake causes no harm (Acts 28.5).
How do we understand these events? Are these coincidences or miracles? Did luck guide David’s slung stone or did our God give aid to its trajectory? Did chance provide a star at Jesus’ birth or did our God use a heavenly body to light a path? Did a major solar eclipse just happen to happen at the time of Jesus’ death, or did our God use a natural event to whisper his sorrow? Our interpretation of these events depends greatly on our interpretation of God. If we view God as indifferent, inattentive, or incapable, then we likely embrace explanations of luck, chance, and happenstance. If, however, we embrace miracle-working, intervening God, then we see God’s intervention – albeit in subtle ways. We find a God who use the natural world to bring about supernatural outcomes.
Certainly, we do find amazing, overt miracles in the Bible: Elijah calls down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18.18); Elisha brings a child back to life (2 Kings 2.34); the many miracles of Jesus; and even a couple in the early church (Acts 3.7 and 20.10). These events are rare and serve a clear purpose: declare God’s ordained authority for the person facilitating a divine intervention. Most of God’s miraculous work, however, arrives more discreetly.
If we embrace miracle-working God who intervenes discreetly, it changes our interpretation of life’s events. When unwelcomed events dictate our day, perhaps God is directing our day – discreetly leading us to the right place. When the irritations of life steer us against our preferences, perhaps God is discreetly guiding us. And as God guides us, God uses us to serve and love others. Have you considered how a broken tool might allow you to bless your neighbor? It starts a conversation that would never happen otherwise. Is that event just chance? Or perhaps, something more? As you move through life, realize that our inconveniences are oftentimes just that, inconveniences, but sometimes, they are opportunities engineered by our miracle-working God.
