When I was younger I was amazed at reading how the disciples got to witness so many miraculous events. Whether it was Jesus feeding four thousand people with next to nothing, people being raised from the dead or Moses parting the Red Sea, it was clear that miracles definitely happened.
So, when thinking of these Biblical miracles a somewhat obvious and awkward question stands in front of us all – why doesn’t the world see the same scale of miracles that happened in the Bible today?
Hear our cry
When looking at the state of the world, that question sometimes leaves me feeling confused, hurt and far from God. Sometimes I can’t help but think, where were those same miracles when loved ones passed away from diseases? And where are those same miracles when all hope is gone? It feels like the entire world is waiting for a miracle to see the end of this current pandemic. And for people already exposed to poverty, issues like hunger and lack of healthcare are intensifying. The necessity of lockdown has left many without work, money and a sense of self-sustainability. Where is their miracle?
After bringing these questions to God in prayer, meditation and reading the Bible, I soon realised that God’s heart is for us as it has always been. He is the same God who performed miracles in the Bible and the same God that will always make a way for us, allow goodness to come into our lives and protect us. However, that still doesn’t answer the question of why we struggle to see miracles happen today. But in a way, it doesn’t have to. What if, instead of focusing so much on the mountain that needs to be moved, we focused on the mover?
God with us
As we look to God, remembering that He stands alongside us, we’re also empowered to stand with others. Meaning we could be the miracle or intervention that others are praying and hoping for! What if we took everything that God had given to us and helped the ones who were in great need? Could that then change the way we view miracles and our expectations of God? Now, this doesn’t mean we have to stop expecting miracles to happen, but it’s important to refocus and adjust how we see the situations we encounter.
I believe God wants us to trust that He will show up in every situation. And in doing so, He declares peace, healing, and restoration into the lives of many. If we’re able to acknowledge our present reality, while simultaneously acknowledging God is for and in us, it’s less likely that we’ll feel paralysed by the world around us. We have the ability to stand as believers, knowing that as God stretches his hand towards our troubled hearts and the problems that overwhelm us, we can also stretch our hands towards others and the problems we see around the world.
Playing our part
Stretching your hand out to others in this season can look like praying over the world; praying for wisdom for world leaders; praying for protection for the vulnerable; and praying over those who are affected by Covid-19. It could also look like you; fundraising; financially blessing someone; donating; or doing a food shop for someone who is unable to leave their house. However, you choose to stretch your hand out, know that God has equipped us all to help (or to be helped) while trusting in God’s heart and will for our lives.
I pray that as we all navigate through this strange season, we understand that the current state of the world isn’t a reflection of God’s heart towards us. As we wait expectantly for God’s intervention, He empowers us to help and reach out to others in the waiting.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze
Isaiah 43:2