In a culture where there is a desire to experience only the miracles of God, do miracles alone sustain our faith?
Throughout scripture, we see many miracles performed but we also witness that God has specific purposes for miracles.
When the Israelites were in captivity in Egypt, God used Moses to lead them out, so they can worship Him (Exodus 8:1-3) and to remind them that He is God alone (Exodus 8:10, Exodus 6:6-8) and to fulfill the promise that He made to their ancestors of giving them a land of their own (Joshua 1:6).
The Israelites witnessed so many incredible miracles such as going through the parted Red Sea when the Egyptians were pursuing them to bring them back into captivity (Exodus 14:21-23), eating manna or bread that God rained down from heaven to provide for them while they were in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4), being led by God in a cloud by day and fire by night on the journey to the promised land (Exodus 13:21).
Yet, the Israelites remind us despite all these remarkable miracles, they forgot God’s faithfulness. In Exodus 32, while Moses was on the mountain with God, the Israelites were down rebelling.
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him. – Exodus 32:1
They began worshipping man-made idols rather than God. The generation led by Moses wandered 40 years in the wilderness due to their constant disobedience and opposition to God.
In other passages of scripture, we are reminded of the same things. In a passage in Luke 17:11-19, while Jesus was traveling between Samaria and Galilee, as he entered a village, he came across 10 men who had leprosy. They stood at a distance and called out to Him for healing. He told them, “‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14). Though all were healed, only one returned to give praise to God, but Jesus asked an important question, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18). These men personally experienced an incredible life-changing miracle, but only one came to give praise to God.
An important question is if miracles alone do not sustain our faith, what can?
Psalm 1: 1-3 is an important reminder and example.
We need to continually meditate on God’s word
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2
The psalmist describes one who is firm in faith and who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or sit among scoffers.
What attributes to the firmness of faith for this individual?
The delight of this blessed person is God’s word, actively engaged in meditating on His word day and night. Similarly, we can have this same delight in our growth of faith by seeking God’s word and practically living it out as we are called to be doers of the word, not hearers only (James 1:22).
The result of this devotion is one who is nourished and bears fruit in season like a tree planted by streams of water. There is a spiritual flourishing in this described person’s life.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. – Psalm 1:3
Challenge: Create a plan to begin engaging with scripture on a regular basis such as writing and memorizing verses or read a new book in the Bible.
Prayer: God, I pray to grow in my faith and delight in you. I pray that I would know you more deeply and that you would reveal yourself. I pray to meditate on your word and be transformed. I pray to share my hope with those who are seeking to know you.
Graceful Strides 