Over the past few weeks, a number of the folks here at New Life have experienced real answers to prayer! No doubt about it - God has done the miraculous on their behalf. One of the ladies of the church experienced the reality of Exodus 15:26 - God was her healer! In the middle of a Sunday morning service, God touched her hand - now the pain she had been experiencing in it is gone, and strength and mobility have returned. Another had a substantial financial miracle. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:19 that God will meet all our needs according to His wonderful riches in Christ Jesus. This lady learned that by way of a check in the mail that will take care of her for the next few months while she continues to search for a job. Still another in the church discovered that God really does do far more for us that we would ever dare to ask or even imagine - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes (Ephesians 3:20). It's a little bit of an old school expression but nevertheless still true for this couple: "God blessed their socks off!"
As I was reflecting on these miracle stories, I couldn't help but be reminded of how good God is. In Psalm 119, the Psalmist lets us to know that "God is good and what He does is good!" I think it's probably one of my most favorite verses in the Bible ... and yet after these testimonies, I'm wondering if the Psalmist's description is a bit of an understatement. Our awesome God - He is a prayer-answering, life-changing, circumstance-redeeming, miracle-working God, isn't He. He is good, good, good ... all the time good! Spending time meditating on the reality of that will sure go a long way in building your faith and your confidence in God to help you in your circumstances. It will stir you to new heights in your passion for praise and worship ... our God who is good like that is truly deserving of all the praise, and all the glory, and all the honor all the time after all! Ultimately, it helps to build such a sense of excitement and anticipation for every time the church gets together! There's a new found expectation around here that every time we get together, God's going to take a prayer request and turn it into this week's testimony ... and we just can't wait to see that happen!
No doubt, hearing a miracle story is good ... it's fun to hear the amazing things God has done, isn't it? On the other hand, miracle stories sometimes just remind us of what God hasn't yet done for us, don't they? I know ... it's incredibly selfish of us to feel that way, isn't it? And yes - I'm sure we're all fully away of the scriptural command to "rejoice with those who rejoice" ... that's what we should be doing and we know it. And yet, I think there's something about being reminded that God does good and He does do miracles, and then witnessing the reality of that in the life of another ... that makes us to ask that all important question: "Why not me, God?"
First, a challenge for you ... let's learn to "thank" more and complain less. That's what we do, isn't it? God does something great and we barely take time to say "thank you" before we start in with complaining about what God hasn't yet done and/or the prayer that God still hasn't answered. "God, you healed him ... yeah, that's great and all, but don't You remember I still have this problem?" "A huge financial miracle? Answered prayer? Need met? Yeah ... good, good; but what about this thing in my life, God? When are You going to do something about that?" "Wow! God, you really blessed them beyond belief. I don't understand why you never do stuff like that for me ... I sure wish you would! (Hint! Hint!)" Sound familiar? Truth be told, we've all expressed those sentiments way too often, haven't we? How about let's make a change then? No doubt you have problem situations in your life even right now as you read this; and no doubt it would be great if God would have taken care of those yesterday ... but He did something else instead. How about today, though, instead of complaining and being overly concerned about the "still-to-be-done" things ... how about we join the hosts of heaven in making today a day of praise. The miracle may not have been yours; but it nevertheless reveals a God who is still powerful enough to heal, gracious enough to provide, and loving enough to bless ... and for that, He forever deserves our praise and our thanksgiving!
Second, an encouragement for you ... what God has done for others, He wants to use to strengthen and encourage your faith for what you still need Him to do for you. I think sometimes we go through circumstances in life - we're praying for something, we're praying for a miracle - I mean, we're praying and praying and praying ... but nothing happens. All of a sudden the faith we had when we first started praying is a little bit shaken ... and we begin to wonder, and worry, we question, we doubt - ultimately we struggle, our faith struggles. Maybe like me, in those moments then you've prayed something like this: "God, if you could just show me that You're doing something. God, even if not the answer, if You could just give part of the answer ... if you could just give me a sign that my miracle is on the way - then everything would be okay; then my faith would be strengthened again; then I'd be able to for sure make it through. Just a sign, God ... that's all I need." I've prayed that prayer ... just recently, in fact. And when I did, I felt God speak to my heart concerning the situation I was struggling with ... He reminded me of one of the miracle stories that I've shared with you and used it then to say to me, "Here's your sign!" And Wow! what that did to my faith! All of a sudden I was reminded that God knew all about my faith struggle ... and in fact, not only did He know about it, He had an answer for it. More than that, God answered my prayer ... by way of the testimonies happening all around me, He reminded me of how He still works miracles and of how I could then continue to trust Him for the miracle I was still praying for and waiting on. Do you need a miracle? Does it seem like nothing is happening? Do you need a sign then? I think God would invite you to look around you; maybe even to read again what He's done for the three folks I told you about ... and I sincerely believe that as you would do that, God would speak to your heart, "Here's your sign!" And I pray that God's response would do for you what it did for me: restore hope, bring encouragement, and revive faith!
Lord, thanks for being so good and so great! Help me to have an attitude of gratitude ... even when there's still lots I'm waiting for You to do for me. And Lord, all around me are signs that point to Your miracle-working power ... help me not to miss them; especially when a sign is what I'm most needing to see. Amen.
As I was reflecting on these miracle stories, I couldn't help but be reminded of how good God is. In Psalm 119, the Psalmist lets us to know that "God is good and what He does is good!" I think it's probably one of my most favorite verses in the Bible ... and yet after these testimonies, I'm wondering if the Psalmist's description is a bit of an understatement. Our awesome God - He is a prayer-answering, life-changing, circumstance-redeeming, miracle-working God, isn't He. He is good, good, good ... all the time good! Spending time meditating on the reality of that will sure go a long way in building your faith and your confidence in God to help you in your circumstances. It will stir you to new heights in your passion for praise and worship ... our God who is good like that is truly deserving of all the praise, and all the glory, and all the honor all the time after all! Ultimately, it helps to build such a sense of excitement and anticipation for every time the church gets together! There's a new found expectation around here that every time we get together, God's going to take a prayer request and turn it into this week's testimony ... and we just can't wait to see that happen!
No doubt, hearing a miracle story is good ... it's fun to hear the amazing things God has done, isn't it? On the other hand, miracle stories sometimes just remind us of what God hasn't yet done for us, don't they? I know ... it's incredibly selfish of us to feel that way, isn't it? And yes - I'm sure we're all fully away of the scriptural command to "rejoice with those who rejoice" ... that's what we should be doing and we know it. And yet, I think there's something about being reminded that God does good and He does do miracles, and then witnessing the reality of that in the life of another ... that makes us to ask that all important question: "Why not me, God?"
First, a challenge for you ... let's learn to "thank" more and complain less. That's what we do, isn't it? God does something great and we barely take time to say "thank you" before we start in with complaining about what God hasn't yet done and/or the prayer that God still hasn't answered. "God, you healed him ... yeah, that's great and all, but don't You remember I still have this problem?" "A huge financial miracle? Answered prayer? Need met? Yeah ... good, good; but what about this thing in my life, God? When are You going to do something about that?" "Wow! God, you really blessed them beyond belief. I don't understand why you never do stuff like that for me ... I sure wish you would! (Hint! Hint!)" Sound familiar? Truth be told, we've all expressed those sentiments way too often, haven't we? How about let's make a change then? No doubt you have problem situations in your life even right now as you read this; and no doubt it would be great if God would have taken care of those yesterday ... but He did something else instead. How about today, though, instead of complaining and being overly concerned about the "still-to-be-done" things ... how about we join the hosts of heaven in making today a day of praise. The miracle may not have been yours; but it nevertheless reveals a God who is still powerful enough to heal, gracious enough to provide, and loving enough to bless ... and for that, He forever deserves our praise and our thanksgiving!
Second, an encouragement for you ... what God has done for others, He wants to use to strengthen and encourage your faith for what you still need Him to do for you. I think sometimes we go through circumstances in life - we're praying for something, we're praying for a miracle - I mean, we're praying and praying and praying ... but nothing happens. All of a sudden the faith we had when we first started praying is a little bit shaken ... and we begin to wonder, and worry, we question, we doubt - ultimately we struggle, our faith struggles. Maybe like me, in those moments then you've prayed something like this: "God, if you could just show me that You're doing something. God, even if not the answer, if You could just give part of the answer ... if you could just give me a sign that my miracle is on the way - then everything would be okay; then my faith would be strengthened again; then I'd be able to for sure make it through. Just a sign, God ... that's all I need." I've prayed that prayer ... just recently, in fact. And when I did, I felt God speak to my heart concerning the situation I was struggling with ... He reminded me of one of the miracle stories that I've shared with you and used it then to say to me, "Here's your sign!" And Wow! what that did to my faith! All of a sudden I was reminded that God knew all about my faith struggle ... and in fact, not only did He know about it, He had an answer for it. More than that, God answered my prayer ... by way of the testimonies happening all around me, He reminded me of how He still works miracles and of how I could then continue to trust Him for the miracle I was still praying for and waiting on. Do you need a miracle? Does it seem like nothing is happening? Do you need a sign then? I think God would invite you to look around you; maybe even to read again what He's done for the three folks I told you about ... and I sincerely believe that as you would do that, God would speak to your heart, "Here's your sign!" And I pray that God's response would do for you what it did for me: restore hope, bring encouragement, and revive faith!
Lord, thanks for being so good and so great! Help me to have an attitude of gratitude ... even when there's still lots I'm waiting for You to do for me. And Lord, all around me are signs that point to Your miracle-working power ... help me not to miss them; especially when a sign is what I'm most needing to see. Amen.
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