As I am growing just a tad older (what is age in the face of eternity?)...
I thought I should try to recount the miracles I have seen- to bear testimony.
So many times we forget, or chalk things up to coincidence.
As someone (Archbishop William Temple?) said, "All I know is when I pray coincidences happen, when I don't- they don't."
Briefly- very briefly- what is a miracle?
First some say everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein famously said, "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
There is truth here. Life itself is a miracle. In faith I believe God created- that we are not some cosmic accident. The human body is a testimony- just the human brain is amazing. The brain is more powerful than a supercomputer; neurons send information to the brain at over 150 mph; the brain contains more nerve cells than there are people on Earth. But the bigger question is "why is there something rather than nothing?" And the corollary, "why is there personality?" Life is a gift- a miracle.
BUT, in some ways, if everything is a miracle, nothing is a miracle. If a miracle is defined (Loosely) as something special or unusual, then saying everything is special means nothing is special.
In my writing today- I am thinking of things special. There are those who criticize this- especially those whose faith is more in science than God. They will say, "you are just saying things are a miracle that you do not understand." Such thinking elevates the hope of human knowledge too far. Just because I understand something, does not mean that God is not at work. I understand (in many ways) that my wife loves me- we have been together about 45 years- through lots of thick and many thins. But in some ways- the grace it takes to love is un-understandable. Human love is more than just the chemical attraction of molecules and hormones. It involves trust, hope, forgiveness, and more power than I have in and of myself or even herself. But also, there is, I believe a part of us that doesn't want to give allegiance to something/Someone greater than ourselves. We fear losing our "independence" (as if we are all on our own).
YET. what I am writing about are unusual things. It is in such things that I see more clearly the hand of God- the times I survived, the times prayers were answered clearly, the times things clearly happened providentially. Some call such things "Godwinks" (Squire Rushnell's term).
In both Old and New Testaments, miracles are recorded to point to the power of God- and the identity of Jesus Christ. I think of the ten plagues against the mightiest empire (and Emperor) of the world at the time. Think of Elijah's stopping/starting the rain, provision in famine, bringing a boy back to life.
Think of Elishah's 16 miracles- like prophesying the death of Ben-Hadad, that the Shunamite woman would have a son, multiplying loaves of bread, providing oil for a widow, healing Naaman of leprosy. Isaiah's prophecies fulfilled in his lifetime (eg. the defeat of the huge Assyrian army), the making the shadow move miraculously, the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. But Isaiah's specific prophecies of the birth (9), miracles (61), death (53) of the Messiah are amazing in and of themselves. These are but a few examples. I didn't speak of Gideon, Samson, Ahab's prophecied death, and so many others.
In the New Testament Jesus has 37 miracles recorded and references to many others unrecorded. Things like miracles over nature- stilling a storm, walking on water; miracles over death- the widow of Nain's son, Jairus's daughter, Lazarus and various people raised from the dead when he died on the cross, and of course- His own resurrection.
There are the miracles of his prophesying the future- specifically his own betrayal, denial by his friends and death, the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD). There are numerous healing miracles of healing the blind, deaf, lame, leprous- in part as a testimony to his identity as Messiah (Isaiah 61, and Luke 7:22). There are miracles of provision- the unusual and large catch of fish at the beginning and ending of his ministry (Luke 5, John 21), telling Peter to get a coin from a fish's mouth to pay his taxes, feeding of the 5,000+ (recorded in all four gospels), turning water into wine (just for joy). John ends his gospel saying, "Jesus did many other things as well" (21:26). No one can record every miracle. At some point even miracles become boring. But as I write about some of the miracles I have seen- I realize I will NOT record some- they are too personal. I will NOT record some because I have not seen them- but believe they are there (like the time I avoided the accident if I would have been on time). I will NOT record some because what may have been very important to me, might seem too trivial to the reader.
There are those (like the great Benjamin Warfield) who say miracles ceased to exist when the Bible was written or at least disseminated among people. In a modified way, some have said that miracles still take place- rarely mind you- on the mission field to help win people to Christ. But such thinking limits God, lowers expectations, and is akin to Deism (the thought of God winding up the world and letting it go on its own). God still answers prayers. This is one of my greatest points in writing this. We do not pray enough.
Enough of heady explanation. In fact, one of my theses is that you can't explain miracles away satisfactorily. We are called to love God with the mind- but also with the heart and soul. Miracles are not merely for the mind- but may inspire our love for God, and even others.
Disclaimer- I have already lost some because this seems too heady. But alas, I am what I am. I grew up Presbyterian in America. John Calvin, our founder, was a great thinker (some say the greatest in Europe at the time). Deep faith and even love for God- can come from thinking. But miracles inspire us and give us hope, and make our heart sing.
So I will try to talk about miracles in my life. This is more of a personal exercise, but maybe someone can be inspired by it.
1) Personal Miracles
2)
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