The Power of Miracles - The Crosswalk Devotional - December 2
The Power of Miracles
By Jessica Van Roekel
"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is like our great God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples." Psalm 77:11-14, ESV
The passage of time stretched out like an unending journey. Light had vanished and left me afraid. Prayers went unanswered, and I cried out for the Lord to do something, but every day I faced the same struggles. My heart felt frozen, my mind numb, and I went through the motions of my daily tasks. I doubted God’s presence in my life and accused him of ignoring me.
At times it can feel like we’ve been sidelined. We pray for healing in our bodies or relationships, and things get worse and worse. We wonder when it will be our turn for a miracle. We cry and plead, but God seems silent. The agony of silence gives way to an outburst of anger or disappointment. Psalm 77 helps us express our frustration but also points our hearts toward God’s goodness.
Everyone faces days of trouble because trouble is part of our world. It serves several purposes. It’s an opportunity for our spiritual roots to go deeper as we choose to trust God with the unknowns that lie before us. The thing with troubles is that we don’t have a guaranteed outcome, and we like outcomes we can count on. In the end, victory is ours, but when the beginning seems long ago, the middle can seem unending.
What do we do when the middle seems long and victory far off? Losing seems imminent and retreat the only way forward. We remember that our miracle unfolds day by day and we turn to the past to propel us forward. Sometimes we can’t see God clearly in our own lives, but that’s when we can turn to the Bible for encouragement.
We find encouragement as we trace God’s faithful heart and his miraculous deeds throughout the Old and New Testaments. When we remember how he parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, we can look for how he made a way in our lives too. Our parting of seas might look like the strength to walk into the oncologist’s office. It’s this reliance on God for the very next step that reveals more of the unfolding miracle he does in our day-to-day lives.
Our hearts grow stronger when we remember the woman with the issue of blood in the New Testament. Her journey to healing lasted years and cost her a place in society, and crippled her finances. No one could help her. Her way was darkened with discouragement. Yet Jesus. She wove her way through the crowds, convinced that a single touch of Jesus’ hem would heal her. Her persistence led to her miracle. The woman’s example gives us the courage to persist and helps us see where we stayed the course even though we felt unheard. Our persistence is part of our miracle too.
We may find ourselves in situations that seem as impassable as a wide sea. There’s no way around it, and our enemies grow ever closer. We can surrender, or we can keep searching for a way through, trusting that God will be with us through it. That’s just as much of a miracle as the seas parting and our enemies disappearing. God goes with us. He is our strength and companion for the troubled waters ahead.
God carried me through that time when I felt abandoned by him all those years ago. Like the woman with the issue of blood, I persisted in seeking him. And the miracle was a slow unfolding of grace as he met me, drew me closer to him, and renewed my heart.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like you’re in deep trouble and God seems far off, continue to call on him and remember what he has done. When you couple remembering what he has done with crying out to him, you strengthen your faith so that you can see your miracle unfold as he carries you through. Big splashy miracles are exciting testimonies of God’s power. Quiet miracles that unfold slowly are enduring testimonies of God’s glory revealed in you.
Further Reading:
Psalm 77
Mini-Miracles
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Anastasiia Stiahailo
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