"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of valleys. I will makes the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water." Isaiah 41:17, 18
Perhaps it is the plague of the Western mind to no longer be presenced with miracles. I can only laugh at the skeptic who demands to see a miracle right now in order to believe. Even if God was some how on our leash and danced when we played music, they would not believe if a miracle came, nor even if one came back from the dead, for two reasons: (1) we have the Scriptures to reveal God, and (2) we have "debunked" miracles outright with an unhealthy (and unnatural) dose of Naturalism. We can disprove anything these days (including history, or existence itself). There is a reason "uncivilized" countries in Africa and the Middle East, as well as "barbaric" peoples in China, still tell of miracles these days, whilst we "enlightened" few never see any. We are willfully ignorant; we ripped out our own eyes in an effort to see.
The church is infected with this plague too. We have gotten a serious case of practical agnosticism; we do not live like our God is a God of miracles. He is powerful (an awesome God!), or lovely, or amiable, or cruel, or even holy, but not miraculous. Yet the scriptures seem to stress the miraculous as God's calling card. Look at our verse here. It was not enough that God merely gave them water. Just look at how He would give it: rivers in hills? fountains in valleys? water in the wilderness? springs in the desert? Impossible! Ridiculous! I.e., miraculous. God seems to revel in showing that He can when we say He cannot, and we seem to revel in saying that He cannot all the time. "God is nice for Sunday, but what about the rest of the week? A man must eat, and dress, and wash, and live. I'll take care of God on Sunday and myself the rest of the time." We are the only creatures on this planet that do not see God as God. We do not see Him as the same miracle worker He was and always is.
Have you seen angels? visions? blinding lights? parted waters? plagues upon enemies? No. Has the money come in? the test(s) passed? the love one saved? disaster averted? the question answered? the guidance given? found a penny on the side walk? Yes. We are always surrounded by the miraculous, for the miraculous is merely God's activity in this world. As such, every moment of our lives is a miracle. Every amazing incident and circumstance of our lives is a miracle. Every breath and heartbeat is a miracle. As the Church, the body of Christ, we are a miracle, meant to be a miracle to the world. To live in a miraculous world again is to simply realize the reality of God's intimate connection and involvement with our lives. If only we had eyes to see such things.
"God of Miracles,
Come and be with us.
We will trust in You,
To deliver us.
Kind and noble King,
Kneeling in the dust.
So predictable,
So Mysterious.
God of Miracles."
(by Twila Paris)
-Jon Vowell
Perhaps it is the plague of the Western mind to no longer be presenced with miracles. I can only laugh at the skeptic who demands to see a miracle right now in order to believe. Even if God was some how on our leash and danced when we played music, they would not believe if a miracle came, nor even if one came back from the dead, for two reasons: (1) we have the Scriptures to reveal God, and (2) we have "debunked" miracles outright with an unhealthy (and unnatural) dose of Naturalism. We can disprove anything these days (including history, or existence itself). There is a reason "uncivilized" countries in Africa and the Middle East, as well as "barbaric" peoples in China, still tell of miracles these days, whilst we "enlightened" few never see any. We are willfully ignorant; we ripped out our own eyes in an effort to see.
The church is infected with this plague too. We have gotten a serious case of practical agnosticism; we do not live like our God is a God of miracles. He is powerful (an awesome God!), or lovely, or amiable, or cruel, or even holy, but not miraculous. Yet the scriptures seem to stress the miraculous as God's calling card. Look at our verse here. It was not enough that God merely gave them water. Just look at how He would give it: rivers in hills? fountains in valleys? water in the wilderness? springs in the desert? Impossible! Ridiculous! I.e., miraculous. God seems to revel in showing that He can when we say He cannot, and we seem to revel in saying that He cannot all the time. "God is nice for Sunday, but what about the rest of the week? A man must eat, and dress, and wash, and live. I'll take care of God on Sunday and myself the rest of the time." We are the only creatures on this planet that do not see God as God. We do not see Him as the same miracle worker He was and always is.
Have you seen angels? visions? blinding lights? parted waters? plagues upon enemies? No. Has the money come in? the test(s) passed? the love one saved? disaster averted? the question answered? the guidance given? found a penny on the side walk? Yes. We are always surrounded by the miraculous, for the miraculous is merely God's activity in this world. As such, every moment of our lives is a miracle. Every amazing incident and circumstance of our lives is a miracle. Every breath and heartbeat is a miracle. As the Church, the body of Christ, we are a miracle, meant to be a miracle to the world. To live in a miraculous world again is to simply realize the reality of God's intimate connection and involvement with our lives. If only we had eyes to see such things.
"God of Miracles,
Come and be with us.
We will trust in You,
To deliver us.
Kind and noble King,
Kneeling in the dust.
So predictable,
So Mysterious.
God of Miracles."
(by Twila Paris)
-Jon Vowell
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