ONE.3 – How Do We Believe In Miracles When We Don’t See Them Every Day?

Week 1 | Day 3

So, the day I asked this question I felt like I had stepped with two feet into wet concrete! It was not pleasant. I was weighed down – first, by the cement and second, by the thought that God may not be as dependable as I thought. I wondered if he would really protect me. I read bible stories of people who believed Christ could do miracles and then BAM! – it happened, because of their faith! I’m telling you right now, my family’s faith did not cure my grandpa. So did we lack faith?

This question kept popping up in my mind’s eye, every time my life calmed down a bit. You know, those few seconds in a day where you sit down for lunch at 3 pm and instead of enjoying your food, you get trapped in thoughts. My mind raced: Why would God only save certain people? If God is saving some and not others, what differs? What did those people show God or do in their life to earn a miracle? No, that doesn’t sound right. Earning miracles would be like earning the lottery. WOAH! Is that how miracles work? People can just believe in God for a sec and that gives them a chance to win? Is it all that random?

So I gave my dad a call,

“Dad, why do you think grandpa passed away when we had faith that God wasn’t going to let that happen? Why wasn’t our faith enough?”

My dad explained, “When my dad was sick, he got a blessing that said he would be healed and live. I didn’t feel like that was going to happen, so I prayed and gave him a different blessing…These things happen all the time where someone will get a priesthood blessing and something said in it doesn’t actually occur.”

Does that mean that God is a liar or that these men are making stuff up? I don’t think so. I believe men can faithfully ask for a blessing from God, but whether or not that blessing is given, is up to our loving, all-knowing Father in Heaven.

Life’s happenings don’t challenge God’s existence or his ability to perform miracles. With this new understanding, I noticed that I was asking the wrong question. I don’t need to know the workings or timing of God to know that He has the power to do all things! Instead, I need to know the answer to this:

How do I have faith in miracles when I fear unwanted outcomes will happen instead?

My studies then jumped off the pages! In the bible, Jairus came to Christ asking him to heal his daughter. On their way, they were stopped by someone coming from Jairus’ home who told them, “Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?” Then immediately Christ reminded Jairus, “Be not afraid, only believe.” As the story goes, Christ heals his daughter and all is well there.

I got my first answer! “Be not afraid, only believe.” This was not only an invitation from Christ but also a representation that God believed in my abilities to do such. God doesn’t ask us to do anything that we are not able to do without Him. Therefore, I find comfort in his command.

The next clarifying calm came in the moment I hit my knees. I noticed myself pleading for an answer. I wondered. I held frustrations. I cried, asked why’s, and then waited.

Trust in the Lord, with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6, Bible KJV

I think it’d be great for every faithful person to be able to ask for a miracle and have it occur. Yet my greater peace comes in trusting God’s will. I need to have faith that God can perform any miracle while knowing that if he doesn’t, I will be okay. God will take care of me.