Miracles still happen

 

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” — Matthew 19:26

There is much controversy surrounding the topic of miracles.

A lot of Bible skeptics and theologians believe that miracles have ceased. They based this conclusion on definitions that state, for example, that miracles must be contrary to a natural law or showcase a supernatural interference with nature.

I believe that these definitions do not adequately account for the biblical teaching on providence. These definitions imply that the laws of nature operate independently of God and that God must intervene or break these laws in order for a miracle to occur. Since when does God depend on nature or man’s abilities in order to do the impossible? Isn’t every answer to a prayer a demonstration of God’s ability to interact with the laws of nature?

In my opinion, a miracle is simply a less common way of God’s working in the world. Contrary to popular belief, miracles do still happen nowadays—I have witnessed quite a few.

Not everyone gets to experience a miracle, though, because they simply don’t believe. People ask for miracles to build their faith, but they have already hardened their hearts against God and His wonder—you cannot see what you don’t believe.

After Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people, the same crowd asked Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? (John 6:30). They experienced a wondrous miracle, and yet—they couldn’t see because they didn’t believe.

God is doing many miracles all around us, but a lot of people fail to see what God is doing because they’re skeptical and need “solid proof”. Since when has faith been determined based on “solid proof”?

Whether it’s a baby being born against all odds, someone being healed, saved, or being brought back from the brink of death—miracles still happen. All that we have to do is to open our hearts and believe. God will work His miracles according to His timing and purpose.

Forgiveness brings healing

 

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:31-32

Since September last year I have saw and experienced the absolute worst in people. It’s hard not to become bitter or resentful when people hurt or wrong you, or when their actions lead to heartbreak and loss. What’s even harder is to forgive and forget.

I truly battled with an unforgiving heart these last few months, and the more I battled, the more depressed and physically ill I became. That’s when I realized that unforgiveness is like a deadly poison that slowly kills everything good inside a person.

It took me a while to come to the conclusion that forgiveness is not only about forgiving those that have wronged you, but it’s also necessary for a person’s own spiritual well-being and growth.

Forgiveness brings healing and peace to the person who is forgiving. Forgiveness does not justify the deed or the person—the wrong done is still wrong. It only means that you have decided to let go and move forward—that you have decided to release the wrong and wrongdoer to God for judgment.

According to Dr. Sidney Simon, an internationally recognized authority on self-esteem and negative criticism, forgiveness is about freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. “It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.”

Forgiving others releases us from anger and allows us to begin with the healing process. Isn’t it interesting that research has found that not forgiving someone has health implications. According to research done by Dr. Michael Barry, a pastor and the author of the book, The Forgiveness Project, the immune system and forgiveness are very much connected.

“Most people don’t realize what a burden anger and hatred are until they let it go,” Barry said. “Harboring these negative emotions, this anger and hatred, creates a state of chronic anxiety. When a person forgives from the heart, we find that they are able to find a sense of peacefulness.”

Forgiveness thus not only brings healing, but it is the only true way to find inner peace and happiness.

Keeping the faith

 

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” — James 1:6

These last few weeks I have truly been struggling to keep the faith.

We recently lost an important member of our family, and it hit me really hard. It’s the fifth time in the last four years that we had to endure such a loss, and sometimes it feels like the bad is so much more than the good.

It’s hard not to get bitter or become angry when you constantly have to go through these moments in life, and it’s really hard not to wonder why God let these things happen. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there so much suffering and pain in the world?

Yes, I know suffering and pain entered the world through sin, free will and poor choices. And yes, I know God sometimes uses pain and suffering to strengthen and change us or to help us grow. There are so many different answers and theories that it gets mind-boggling sometimes. I don’t think that we would ever completely understand why these things happen. Maybe that’s where the faith part comes in—to believe that God knows what He is doing and that He is always in control.

Corinthians 13:12 says: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

It’s not always easy to trust God when it feels like you have no control and your world is falling apart. He did, however, warn us in John 16:33 that there will be suffering in this world, but He also promised in Romans 8:28 that in all things He works for the good of those who love Him.

Martin Luther King said that faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase. Maybe that is the answer—to stop asking why and just let it be.

An unknown philosopher once said that all suffering is at least potential good and has the opportunity for good. Sometimes the best weapon against bad things is to fight it with good. Maybe the way to heal is to try and combat the pain in the world with goodness—to be kind to those in pain and help those who are suffering.

Our suffering might not make sense right now, but someday it will. Someday there will be no more crying, no more tears, no more pain and no more suffering—we will truly see and truly understand. For now, all we really can do, is to hold on to our faith and God’s promise in Corinthians 2:9 that says: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Choosing the road less traveled

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” — Matthew 7:13-14

Sometimes life leads us to a crossroads, and the road we choose might forever change our lives. It’s not always easy choosing the right road, because the right road is often the road that most people avoid.

It’s hard to do things differently from the way that they are usually done. In fact, choosing to take the “narrow road” or the “road less traveled”, requires a lot of commitment and endurance, and often turns out to be a lonely road.

Our ability to take the “narrow road” or the “road less traveled” is often crippled by our fear of rejection or the unknown. Robert Frost said in “The road not taken” that he took the road less traveled and that it “has made all the difference”. Entering uncharted territory is scary, and there would most likely be a lot of bumps and obstacles, but if you persevere, you will absolutely reap the rewards.

In John 14:27 God says that we shouldn’t be afraid or let our hearts be troubled, because He will give us His peace. You can live an easy life and settle for something less, or you can follow God’s guidance and take the road that leads to eternal life and grace. We are ultimately responsible for who we become and where we end up in life.

 

Who you are matters

“But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine’” — Isaiah 43:1

Because I gave a degree in psychology, people often ask me to reach out to a loved one that’s going through a rough patch. Something that stood out to me in my conversations with these people is that a lot of them believe that they are insignificant—that who they are don’t matter. I’ve also noticed this kind of thinking pattern in the comments people are leaving on Facebook, in blogs, and in forums. It seems that many of us feel that we don’t matter “and if we die today, nobody would miss us”.

It saddens me that people feel this way, because all of us do matter. I believe that every person makes a ripple in the pond of life, and that each and every ripple is needed to help complete another person’s journey. We don’t always get to see the impact we have on other people’s lives, but there’s no doubt that every life lived has its own unique effect and is absolutely necessary.

Today I want to tell all the people out there that feel that they don’t matter that they matter. Who you are matters! You are the child of a king—you are a child of God (Gal 3:26) and you matter so much that God has engraved your name on the palms of His hands (Is.49:16). Don’t let anybody make you feel differently.

Keep your chin up

 

“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” — Unknown

These last two weeks have been the worst time ever—everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. I caught a nasty cold, my phone’s airtime miraculously keeps disappearing, my webpage malfunctioned and I had to start from scratch and my cat died. It felt like life was giving me a beating.

In the midst of all the chaos I found Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

It felt like God was telling me: “Keep your chin up, all is not lost yet.”

Life is not always easy, and taking hit after hit can get discouraging and tiresome. A person might not always have control over the things that happen in life, but we do have control over our choices and our actions. You can either let worries, hardship and sorrows steal your joy and give up, or you can decide to fight back and stay strong. It’s easy to give up, but it takes real strength and courage to carry on.

God knows that we have the ability to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9) and if we do so, He will not leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

So, when things are starting to get rough in your life, keep your chin up. Take comfort in God’s strength and remember that “it is just a bad day, not a bad life”.

Faith like the Wind

 

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” — Hebrews 11:1

Somebody once told me that faith is like the wind—you can’t see it, but you can feel it. According to Matthew 17:20 if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you will be able to move mountains and nothing will be impossible. How wonderful is it to know that with God on your side, everything is possible?

There is no question about it—the world is slowly turning upside down. Everywhere you look there is suffering and wickedness and it’s getting harder and harder to hold on to that much needed faith to move the mountains in life. It may seem as if God is not in control anymore, but He is. God is always on your side and if you could only see how much He is working behind the scenes, you would realize how truly bless you are.

Remember that miracles happen to those who believe and if you hold on to your faith, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40).

God tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 not to be anxious about anything, but to rather present requests by prayer, petition and thanksgiving “and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

You can rest in the assurance that God is working things out, whether you can see it or not. All that you have to do is to have a little faith.