The Miraculous
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It took a miracle to put the stars in place.
It took a miracle to hang the world in space.
But when He saved my soul,
Cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of love and grace.John W. Peterson, 1948
This precious song, “It Took a Miracle,” brings to memory Grace Noll Crowell’s wonderful little poem “The Miracle.” It goes this way, so precious:
The pain has ceased, oh heart, somewhere.
We met the Master on the way.
It may be that we marked Him not amid the multitude today.
But it was Jesus, for behold, the old, old pain is gone,
And, lo, a miracle no less than that upon the road to Jericho,
No less, my heart, we leap to meet the joy His healing fingers hold.
That He who caught the glad sweet light across Judea’s hills of old,
Oh Master, Thou whose love still keeps Thee pitiful, I bow to Thee.
My wistful tired heart is filled with this strange wondrous miracle ecstasy.
I thank Thee that we still can find Thee close along the old earth way,
Though risen, yet somehow, somewhere, we met Thee on the road today.
I can’t understand how anyone can help but believe in miracles when the Bible is such a miraculous book. When you meet some of these great intellectuals contending in sort of an academic style and supercilious language, that with the passing of the apostolic era, the miracles passed away, and the fact and expectation of miracles was not to be in the church anymore. Well, it only took two elements for the working of a miracle in the early church: the power of God and the faith of man. Surely the power of God hasn’t changed, of course. The church has changed some and our faith has changed some, but it’s just the same whenever true faith of some humble believer meets the power of God. There still can be a miracle, and it’s happening all the time.
You know, God’s faithfulness to His Word has absolutely involved Him in the performance of miracles, because they are necessary to accomplish what God has promised. Oh, the Bible is such a supernatural revelation and reveals the supernatural qualities and acts of a supernatural God. Therefore it’s a supernatural book, and that’s one reason you have to read it so much to have faith. It has such a miraculous effect upon our lives and it has transforming power, and that’s why we say so many times, “Read your Bible and live in the Word.” God’s Word says, “I found thy words and I did eat them” (Jeremiah 15:16).
I can’t understand how it is that anyone can read the newspapers today and see what’s taking place in this world, and yet they will not have faith in God’s Word. For God’s Word is certainly showing forth the prophetic power of the Word of God; the fulfillment and present-day events, the very things that are happening, are shown right in the Word of God.
Faith in the Bible creates faith in the miraculous God and His Son Jesus Christ. Faith in the Christ in the Bible makes for faith in the testimony of all the disciples, and it just goes on and on. For real faith believes in the changeless Christ, and His power brings the same results today as it was with those disciples. And you’ll find that wherever real faith is manifested, you can find real miracles.
Christ Himself said, “The works that I do shall ye do also, and greater works, for I go unto the Father.” That’s John 14:12. Why, then, is it strange that Christ in answer to prayer will do just the same today? Is that strange? In Jesus’ last instruction to His disciples He said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; in my name they shall cast out devils, and they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17–18).
Why is it strange then to expect miracles among God’s real believers? Jesus also said that verse we repeated so many times: “All things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). Are we wrong then to assume that if miracles are not in evidence in the church today, it must be because of the absence of faith and not because Christ or His promises have changed in the very least?
Is it hard for you, listeners, to believe that Christ can manifest His power today? Is it hard for you? Well, I tell you, if you live in that Word, if you’ll eat that Word, as God’s Word says, and just give it a chance, trust the promises, utterly build your faith upon them, you’ll see things come to pass. Far beyond the things of the natural, it’ll be in the realm of the supernatural.
The chief business of the church is in the field of the supernatural. The church is still the custodian of the same divine forces and power, which the eleven used to turn the world upside down. The Scripture said of them, “These are they that turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Those eleven humble unknown men had such confidence that the supernatural power was at their command that they dared to lay siege to even the whole Roman Empire and shook it to its very foundations! Can you doubt then?
Oh, I pray that God will help each one of us to recapture our sense of the supernatural and have the confidence in the reality of divine power in the blessed, miraculous Word of God.
Not only is all this a conviction, but I can truly say it’s been a blessed experience for many years in my own life, in things material and physical as well as spiritual, to trust God to work a miracle when some desperate need arose like in 2 Chronicles. I wish I had time to read it. I don’t say, dear ones, that it always happens, but God has answered prayer in that way more times than He’s ever kept us waiting or said no.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him.” His compassionate willingness and faithfulness is just the same in behalf of any needy, trusting child. He yearns to see faith and meet your needs, and He assures you that He’s no “respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). Put your utter faith in Him. Trust Him now. In faith in Jesus Christ and wholehearted surrender to Him, you’re in a position to claim His promises in utter confidence.
Claim this one, that He can work a miracle for you also. Listen to it carefully. Romans 8:32: “He”—that is, God—“that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how will he not with him also freely give us all things?” His power is just the same today and for you. No respecter of persons, remember. Yes, He’s still on the throne and prayer does change things. Amen?