Miracle or Fellowship?
When
I think of a miracle I think of something happening instantly that
everyone knows is a miracle of God! But is that really what we desire
or should we be desiring fellowship with the Lord, learning about Him in
all we do and say?
Israel saw miracle after miracle when the Lord delivered them out of bondage but in a few days they were griping and complaining about everything in sight! Elijah saw God perform miracles but a few days later he was running from his adversary and pleading for God to take Him! He was sore afraid! The point I am making is that miracles do not build faith in our lives! We begin to expect instant results instead of waiting on the Lord and enjoying fellowship with Him. We tend to forget that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!
God didn't deliver the 3 Hebrew children from the fire in the furnace; they went into the fire! But the Lord went into the fire with them! God didn't keep Daniel from the lions den, but He did keep the lions from Daniel! God didn't keep Paul and Silas from going to jail; but He did get them out when they praised the Lord any way!
Psalms 23 in part says - Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Notice he walked through the valley of the shadow of death; not around it or over it! The Lord was his Shepherd going before him and goodness and mercy was following behind him, the angels of the Lord camped around him and the banner over Him was saying, "I love this one"! Praise the Lord! Beloved, we grow in faith and understanding of the Lord when we face the storms of life and at times reach the end of our strength and abilities and give ourselves totally to the Lord. Every thing we see and hear points to the fact that we can not make it! But we do because the Lord is with us!
While we may not get an instant miracle the miracle is that the Lord is with us, no matter what goes on in our lives, if we refuse to doubt the Word of the Lord and keep on keeping on. We show we believe the Word of God by becoming doers of it no matter what takes place in our lives!
Nine months ago the Doctors found a cancerous tumor in my right hip. On June 15, 2009 they did surgery and removed it. They removed the stitches and soon after the wound burst open! Of course, myself and many others prayed for a miracle! We thought we would have instant healing! After eight months it is still open although it is healing slowly and there is no sign of more cancer! Praise the Lord! During this time I have sensed the constant presence of the Lord in my life. Every time I get my mind off the problem and begin to worship and praise the Lord He is right there. Praise the Lord for ever!!
We, sometimes, get so feeling oriented that we forget that faith is not a feeling. Faith believes God no matter how we feel! He is the same when we are on the mountain or in the valley. Feelings are deceptive but the Word of God is established forever and we can count on it when everything else fails. Praise the Lord! He has promised - Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Beloved, don't look at circumstances or listen to those who have no faith, believe the Lord it is just like His Word says it is!
Beloved, the world is watching us, if we claim to be Christians. We all talk a good game when we are on the mountain and everything is going our way but it's in the valley that we grow and magnify the Lord when we learn to praise Him no matter what is going on!
Israel saw miracle after miracle when the Lord delivered them out of bondage but in a few days they were griping and complaining about everything in sight! Elijah saw God perform miracles but a few days later he was running from his adversary and pleading for God to take Him! He was sore afraid! The point I am making is that miracles do not build faith in our lives! We begin to expect instant results instead of waiting on the Lord and enjoying fellowship with Him. We tend to forget that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!
God didn't deliver the 3 Hebrew children from the fire in the furnace; they went into the fire! But the Lord went into the fire with them! God didn't keep Daniel from the lions den, but He did keep the lions from Daniel! God didn't keep Paul and Silas from going to jail; but He did get them out when they praised the Lord any way!
Psalms 23 in part says - Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Notice he walked through the valley of the shadow of death; not around it or over it! The Lord was his Shepherd going before him and goodness and mercy was following behind him, the angels of the Lord camped around him and the banner over Him was saying, "I love this one"! Praise the Lord! Beloved, we grow in faith and understanding of the Lord when we face the storms of life and at times reach the end of our strength and abilities and give ourselves totally to the Lord. Every thing we see and hear points to the fact that we can not make it! But we do because the Lord is with us!
While we may not get an instant miracle the miracle is that the Lord is with us, no matter what goes on in our lives, if we refuse to doubt the Word of the Lord and keep on keeping on. We show we believe the Word of God by becoming doers of it no matter what takes place in our lives!
Nine months ago the Doctors found a cancerous tumor in my right hip. On June 15, 2009 they did surgery and removed it. They removed the stitches and soon after the wound burst open! Of course, myself and many others prayed for a miracle! We thought we would have instant healing! After eight months it is still open although it is healing slowly and there is no sign of more cancer! Praise the Lord! During this time I have sensed the constant presence of the Lord in my life. Every time I get my mind off the problem and begin to worship and praise the Lord He is right there. Praise the Lord for ever!!
We, sometimes, get so feeling oriented that we forget that faith is not a feeling. Faith believes God no matter how we feel! He is the same when we are on the mountain or in the valley. Feelings are deceptive but the Word of God is established forever and we can count on it when everything else fails. Praise the Lord! He has promised - Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Beloved, don't look at circumstances or listen to those who have no faith, believe the Lord it is just like His Word says it is!
Beloved, the world is watching us, if we claim to be Christians. We all talk a good game when we are on the mountain and everything is going our way but it's in the valley that we grow and magnify the Lord when we learn to praise Him no matter what is going on!
