Healing and Miracles! #2

We talked last week about healing- and that is what most of us need in this world. Knowing that God designed our bodies to heal themselves, we have to allow for the process and cooperate with it.  On occasion we find people who actually need not just healing, but they need a miracle.  Miracles can happen at any time, to any one, but it happens because God does it.  People do not perform miracles, though we may be used to usher them in, but it is a work that God does.   

A miracle is defined as: A surprising and welcomed event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws, it is considered to be divine workings.   Basically miracles don't happen because of science although we view breakthroughs and some scientific accomplishments as miraculous.  For the most part, miracles come from God. 

I love the ministry of Smith Wigglesworth!  If you have not ever read his books or about his life and ministry, I recommend it.  He had the strangest way of ushering in the move of God. He was used to facilitate many miracles in his lifetime.  People with cancer who were instantly healed, lame walked and even his wife was brought back from death's grip.  He had an intimate connection with God that  simpy gave room for miracles to happen through him.  Interestingly his heart was not consumed with the miracles, it was consumed with God and His word.   Before he died, he said he recognized that people were starting to look at him and the miracles more than focusing on  God, and he knew that God would not give His glory to anyone.  One day after he preaching a sermon, he simply went into his office and died, nothing wrong with him physically, just an awareness that he was in the way of people seeing God.  Those same people once again had to rely on God and not man.   Miracles are not for us to gloat in, they are not even really for people to have needs met, they are to bring glory to God and draw people to Him.   God is always moving- we just have to appreciate all the ways that He does.  

THE GREATEST MIRACLE 

Miracles happen to show God's power, His love for us and it evidences His work in this earth. Mircles are  not meant to be a stream of income for people to get rich, or an opportunity to make people think we are so spiritual.  Some  want to see miracles to draw people so our services can be full, or so we can be known as a place where God moves. Miracles draw people, but the purpose of drawing them in not even just for them to receive a natural miracle but so they can recognize the greatest miracle.   

I recall as a young christian,  I had a friend who's unsaved grandmother was sick.  He was not a believer at the time and I thought if God healed her, that would create the perfect storm for him to accept Christ.  So I asked a woman at the church to go to the hospital and pray for her, she agreed.  The next Sunday I inquired about the vist and she said she went, she prayed  and the woman accepted Jesus.  I expected her to tell me the woman got up and went home, but  I was excited anyway, especially since many people have received healing when this church mother prayers.   I just knew that healing was hers now, and my friend was as good as saved!  I commpletely missed thie greatest miracle, the one that said she received Jesus.  She was translated from darkness to light, from death to life, from sin to righteousness. That was not my focus, I only wanted the healing. 

Later when I asked my friend how his 'Big Momma" was, he said she died. I was soo messed up! I couldn't understand what happened!  I was in tears as I questioned God about this lack of performance on His part.  I thought it was supposed to happen that way so he would give his life to God, but it didn't. I didn't even think about her giving her life to Him.   As I wallowed in despair,  this was the only time I recall God audibly speaking to me.  He said "Never underestimate my grace." I was so shocked that my tears dried up as I began to understand what God was saying to me.  He let me know that  just because someone is healed does not mean that they will run and serve God.  They could be healed and still miss heaven, that healing was not His ultimate goal.  These bodies are not the most important thing we have, our souls hold much more value to God.  To us, we want people here with us, but that is still only for a short time.  God however wants them for eternity.   So God let me know, when she wanted Him the most, He took her.  Now the enemy will never have her again.  See, the greatest miracle does not happen when sickness disappears, it happen when sin does.

LOOK FOR THE MIRACLE!

When it comes to healing and miracles in our bodies, I have heard over the years all these reasons why they do not happen. when we pray.   Some say it is due to a lack of faith, and that sounds about right since we can't receive anything without faith.  But who are we to try determine whether or not someone has enough?  According to God, it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed and if we lack it we can go to His word to get it.   I have also heard that people are walking in disobedience, so they will not merit a miracle.  Maybe the atmosphere is not condusive to receiving a miracle?  We try so hard to find something that explains why a miracle does NOT happen, why not look at how it DOES?

Because God's ways are not ours, we don't really know what He is doing most of the time.  We should trust that He has things in His control.  Continue praying and seeking God for all His promises to manifest, and when they don't look like you think, allow for what you do not know.  Not everyone receives a miracle that we can see, some receive healing, and still others have to to trust God through a proccess that is difficult.  But if we take the time to really look, we will still see His hand in it all, because God is always working miracles.