October 19, 2015 WWJWMTD by Steve the son of John

Miracles, Healings and Justice (part 1)

I have often asked for a miracle, a healing, or for God to grant me justice—I did not always receive them. In fact, I depend mostly on others for their prayers rather than my prayers in receiving those spectacular events in my life. I wish miracles would happen on a regular basis in my day-by-day activities—don’t we all!

However, I must admit that when a spectacular event happens in my life I often did not pray an elaborate pray or think things through, but I just made a desperate statement, which God heard and answered quickly. I just can’t figure God out at times.

Nevertheless, if you like and need miracles in your life, you might want to consider the story in I Kings chapter 4.

In this story a widow woman and her son, living in Sidon outside of Israel proper, are making plans to die. Their food source is gone because of the drought and famine; are without hope, faith, or a confession of trusting God. Yet God sends Elijah to her; not to the religious, faithful, or God’s chosen people within Israel. (It is important to note that Elijah is not sent to anyone in Israel—to none of God’s believing people.) The woman tells Elijah that she is preparing a fire in order to make a small meal for her and her son and then will eat, lie down, and die of starvation.

What makes this story important is not that she had faith—she did not have any. It is not a story of hope or trust—she is not hoping for a miracle nor pronouncing a positive confession. But rather she was willing to show some kindness and share what little food she had with a stranger. She divided the remaining food with Elijah. She did something no one else would do in all Israel—to share, give, and sacrifice with someone she did not know. She offers kindness, nothing more & nothing less.

You know why God sent Elijah to her and not to anyone else who were crying out to God not to die, to have mercy and assistance, because no one in Israel would have shared or given. Everyone else was only looking out for himself or herself. God let them die of starvation. You want a miracle—you must be willing to share, to give, to sacrifice what little you have with someone else. God is asking, “What is your motive?”

Need a miracle? Where is your heart? Why are you seeking the miraculous? What’s the motive: to be seen, to have enough for you and not others, to make yourself important? Do you think you deserve the miracle? Are you seeking a miracle by expressing faith or a positive confession, i.e. are you trying to manipulate God? I can tell you that God looks at your heart and behavior, not what you confess when it comes to miracles. It is time for Christians to become Samaritans—undeserving, unworthy, unselfish—in short, to be humble, not willing to be noticed, and unafraid to experience the unknown. We must be convinced that ‘our rationale and personal status’ will not produce anything God is interested in, nor will it bring miracles into our lives.

I want God to grant me a miracle not because or me nor because I deserve one. It is God’s compassion and wisdom that a miracle may become an option for me—not solely for me but for others that surround me. I want to be obedient and sincere so the Glory of God can be manifested through a miracle. Faith cannot bring this to me. God’s wisdom that executes justice brings the miraculous to me…when I have compassion He has compassion on me.

WWJWMTD

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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