Ordinary Miracles

When was the last time you saw a miracle? Really! We read in Scripture about Jesus healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, and even resurrecting people from the dead. But those kinds of things don’t happen today—do they?

I can only imagine what it must have been like when at the marriage feast in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine. That was truly a miracle that no one could argue with! It happened right before their very eyes.

Why don’t miracles still happen today? If they do, they usually happen in some third-world country that we hardly ever hear about. They don’t seem to be happening in Los Angeles, New York City, or even Topeka, Kansas.

Does God choose not to perform miracles in our midst today because He knows we wouldn’t appreciate them for what they are? Is it because we don’t have enough faith?

In Matthew 9:22, we find the story of the woman healed by touching Jesus’ garment. After she felt Him, Jesus turned to her and said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” Maybe if we had more faith, we would see more miracles. Perhaps we have forgotten what it means to believe.

Another possibility is that miracles are happening all around us, but we simply don’t view them as such. If that’s the case, we may need to have our “eyes” examined.

Merriam-Webster defines miracles in this way:

1 : an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs

2 : an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment

3 : Christian Science – a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law

The first two definitions have to do with sensational and extraordinary occurrences. That was an extraordinary event when Moses saw the burning bush in the wilderness. When Balaam’s donkey spoke to him on his way to curse God’s people—that was an outstanding occurrence!

But notice the third definition, “a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law.” That’s quite different than the first two. Miracles that fit this definition may not appear as extraordinary or sensational, but they are still miraculous events because God intervenes to make them happen.

Today, when God carefully guides the surgeon’s hands as he replaces a heart valve in a three-year-old girl, is that a miracle? What if the surgeon is an unbeliever, yet the mother is praying for her little daughter? Can God still perform a miracle through that doctor? Can He use the surgeon without permission to restore her to health? I think so.

Is it not a miracle every time a new baby slips through the birth canal and lands in the hands of a midwife or physician? Where does this little bundle of cells and nerve endings come from? Sure, we can say that it results from a series of “natural” events, but isn’t it still miraculous?

We might call it an “ordinary miracle” because it happens daily. But that doesn’t make it less significant. It only means we must be more attentive, or we’ll miss seeing its splendor and wonder.

“God, please examine my ‘eyes’ today and give me the ability to see your awesome power at work. Thank you that miracles still happen, and may one happen in my heart  just now.”

If you liked this, you may also like Ask for Miracles 

Rich DuBose writes from Northern California.

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