Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Are You Ready to Receive a Miracle?

“Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.” – Luke 1:37 (MSG)

Do you believe in miracles? Are you ready to receive one? Are you sure?

The truth is, we all want to believe in miracles. There’s a reason why “Touched by an Angel” was so popular and is still aired on cable TV channels. I’ve noticed that it is played a lot in hospital rooms, actually. Why is that? Because even medical research shows that faith plays an important role in healing.

How many times have you actually seen a miracle, though?

I would be willing to bet that you’ve seen more miracles than you think. They’re happening all around, you know. The question is whether or not you recognize them as such.

We tend to think that miracles are like magic: wave a wand, and our troubles will disappear; wish upon a star, and our dreams will come true.

What we often fail to realize is that miracles come in all shapes and sizes. They also don’t begin with us. They begin with God.

I haven’t always believed in the goodness of God. I spent many years cursing the darkness of my circumstances, instead of chasing the light. But there was a point at which I gave up. I let go. I let God. I sought His will over mine. And when I did, the miracles began. Slowly, yet surely, my eyes were opened to what God was doing in me, through me, and around me. Hope was reignited. Joy filled my soul. My life began again.

This Christmas, I began to see the parallels between today’s miracles and one that happened over 2,000 years ago to a young peasant girl named Mary.

“You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, beautiful inside and out!” the angel Gabriel said to Mary when he first greeted her.

When God works a miracle, He first examines our hearts. 

“God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.”

God’s miracles are often quite unexpected and can even be disruptive.

“But how? I’ve never slept with a man.”

When God shares His plans for us, our first response is frequently disbelief. We question “how?” and “why?”

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you … therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.”

God tells us how He will accomplish His purpose: His part and our part. 

“And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant!”

God inspires us to believe in our own miracle by reminding us of another.

“Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”

He assures us that whatever we are believing for IS possible with Him.

“And Mary said, ‘Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.’”

We believe … we accept our part … and we receive.

When we see the process of how miracles occur, it’s easier to see how we may be hindering them in our own lives.

When I was in an infertile marriage, I prayed for a baby. God provided one. Not through a miracle pregnancy, but rather through another type of miracle: adoption. But it wasn’t like waving a magic wand or wishing on a star. It took work on my part. It took time. It took faith. Day by day, month by month, year by year. I had to let go of my way, to find a better way: His. And in the end, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It wasn’t the first miracle I experienced, nor was it the last. I've seen others healed. I've been healed myself. Lives have been transformed. People have been made whole. Relationships have been made new. Some miracles have come quickly, without human intervention. Others have taken time, in partnership between God and man. But make no mistake, every miracle has made its mark.

I have learned, through the power of these miracles, the hope for many more and the truth in Ephesians 3:20, which says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely MORE than we might ask or think.”

God is at work.

Miracles abound.

Are you ready to receive one?

Where do you struggle the most with regards to miracles?  Trusting God’s heart for you, that He hears your cries and cares for your needs? Preparing your heart, as you align your will with His? Believing in the possibilities that may be bigger than what you even dare to dream? Accepting your part in His purpose? May the wonder of Jesus' miracle birth carry you with hope for more miracles into the new year ahead.

Are You Ready to Receive a Miracle? originally appeared on Spring Sight blog, by Linda W. Perkins. Click here for more posts. Get even more encouragement by following me on FacebookPinterest, and Twitter

Many of Spring Sight's posts can also be found each week on Crystal Storms' #IntentionalTuesday,  Kelly Balarie's #RaRaLinkUp,, Holly Barrett's Testimony Tuesday, Arabah Joy's Grace & Truth and Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday.

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2 comments:

  1. Miracle was my one word in 2014. It was amazing how many things God brought to my attention that were miracles by way of His intervening hand. Thanks for linking up to Testimony Tuesday!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Holly! Yes, when we open our eyes to what God is doing, there are so many miracles. I love your site, with its testimonies of living miracles. May you have a blessed 2016!

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