Miracles

Miracles
Fire from heaven . . . flaming chariots . . . dead people coming back to life . . . floating ax heads. When you read such stories in 2 Kings, do you sometimes feel as if you're being asked to believe the impossible?

Ever wonder whether or not miracles really happen?

First we need to define what a miracle is. A miracle is any observable event that breaks the normal laws of nature. This includes miracles of nature (the parting of the Red Sea in Exod 14); healings (Naaman in 2 Kings 5); and supernatural displays (appearances of angels or the writing on the wall in Dan 5). By definition, miracles take place by God's initiative, not a human being's. They aren't predictable. And that's one of the problems.

We tend to be skeptical of anything that cannot be photographed, documented, or otherwise objectively 'proven.' Often, our first response to accounts of something unusual is, 'Right. Prove it.' When no proof is offered, we are (often rightly) unconvinced.

The miracles in the Bible often were witnessed by more than one or two people. The plagues in Egypt were experienced by thousands of people. It's hard to fake that kind of testimony.

Another argument to consider is the logical one. If there is a God and he created the universe and set up the laws that govern it, why would it be inconsistent or unbelievable for him to bend or break the rules he made in the first place? The answer is simple: it's not. It is logical that the one who made natural law can act in ways that go beyond it.

Just as we believe in other world-changing events without the benefit of being there, so the biblical writers ask us to believe their testimonies of God's supernatural actions in human history. These writings are just one more way God demonstrates his sovereign control and his intense personal involvement in our lives.