We Are the Miracles Waiting to Happen

Miracles serve a specific purpose in revealing God to man. They serve as notice that there is "Someone" who is above natural things. Miracles in today's day and age, at least, what we conceive of as miracles, are not as common as what we find in the New Testament with Jesus. That's not to say they don't happen. The healing of my shoulder to the total amazement of orthopedic surgeons is an example that they do. But a miracle doesn't have to be a miraculous healing or the casting out of a demon to be, well, a miracle.

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. - Mark 5:25-29, NIV

What provided the means for this woman to be healed? Was it Jesus speaking a word? Was it the Savior reaching out His hand? It was neither, but rather the faith of this woman that if she just touched the Master, she would be healed of an ailment that no doctor had been able to heal in 12 years. What do we find happened? She reached out, touched his cloak, not even an arm or a face or a toenail, but just his cloak, and was healed.

Christ knew immediately what had happened. He began to look around, allowing the person to be healed to identify herself. Christ had a point to make to the surrounding crowd. After all, he was walking with Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue. Jairus had come and for Jesus to heal his daughter. This was big news. And this was the perfect time to make the point:

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." - Mark 5:32-34, NIV

Notice Jesus' words: "Your faith has healed you." Faith was all that was needed. In many ministries today, there's some preparation, some elbow grease, but how much faith? How about the ad hoc, help your neighbor sort of thing? Fact of the matter is, there's an awful lot we can do as the body of Christ. A lot of the things we can do would be miracles in the lives of people we help. Yes, there is the occasional need for one of those supernatural miracles, but often times, God has all the resources, us, to do the very natural but very needed ones. The question is, are we up to it?

Be encouraged, for we are called to walk by faith, not by a project plan. Be encouraged, for faith accomplishes miracles. Be encouraged, for God is looking for the miracle worker and the only qualification is belief. Be encouraged, for when we believe together, we can accomplish great things which will bring our Savior the glory. Be encouraged, for God stands ready and able to assist in ways we couldn't even imagine. Be encouraged and be a miracle today.