Faith & Miracles

Do you sometimes feel as though your faith needs a boost? Hebrews chapter eleven is often called the “Hall of Faith.” It is meant to encourage us, but sometimes I find it discouraging when I compare myself to the people listed. Take Abraham, for instance. Can you imagine if one morning you told your wife that God had instructed you to sell the house and pack the trailer for an unknown destination? Wouldn’t go over well in my home.

Or compare your faith to that of Noah. Try convincing your kids to spend most of their lives helping you build a monstrous ship in preparation for a flood God promised to send in 100 years. (Mind you, it had never even rained up to this time.) And what about Moses? His faith moved him to trade in a life of luxury for one filled with hardship, like giving up a lucrative job for minimum wage. And how about Joshua’s faith? He simply walked around Jericho for a week, gave one shout, and the walls of Jericho crumbled.

When compared to these, my faith seems so microscopic. But if I’ll keep reading, an encouraging change takes place at verse 35. It begins recording the faith of nameless men and women who saw absolutely no deliverance out of their harsh circumstances. Some were thrown into prison, others went hungry, and still others led a somewhat homeless existence. Don’t miss this point—they were still included in the “Hall of Faith.” These nameless men and women are great encouragements to me because God saw their faith even though no one else did. He didn’t miraculously improve their circumstances. Miracles are wonderful, but they are not an effective means to determine whether God has heard our prayers. We can be confident He hears us, if we know His Son and approach His throne in the name of Jesus. God doesn’t always reward our faith the way we hope. But He always pays attention to our cries and some day He will reward.

The reason I’m writing this is to encourage you and myself. Whether we see miracles is not the issue. It’s whether we are seeking God, trusting His wisdom, and relying on His power when we pray. Some television preachers imply that if you aren’t seeing miracles in your finances or health, you must not have enough faith. But the “Hall of Faith” disputes that. Faith moves us to cast our cares upon Him, and to trust Him, whether He changes our circumstances or not. In fact, if we are looking for miracles, we may miss the ordinary blessings of God that He showers upon us every day.

May your faith continue to grow as you walk with the Lord and may the miracle of each day fill you with wonder.