Lately, I have been thinking about miracles and what makes a miracle.  A precious brother in Christ gave a sermon on Sunday about the fact that God still does miracles, and I give a hearty AMEN to that!  Often times, however, in our longing and praying for a miracle, we miss the miraculous going on daily in front of our very eyes.

I have to counsel myself often on this subject.  Many people, (bless their hearts and I am very grateful), have prayed over me for my complete healing.  Don’t get me wrong, I would be so happy if I were to get my voice back and my ability to eat and sing.  I know that the Lord could perform that miracle with just one word, but in praying for that miracle, I do not want to miss the fact that the Lord works miracles in my life EVERY SINGLE DAY!  His sustaining grace to get me through my daily trials, is a miracle in itself.  The fact that I am not secluding myself from people or in a severe state of depression, shows the very hand of God on my life.

My friend, too often we believe that the miracle will be in the Lord taking away our trials, when He is whispering in our ear, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”  The miracle may come in the Lord walking through the fire with you, instead of sparing you from it.  It may be His presence taming the lions, instead of keeping you out of the lion’s den.  It may be sustaining you in prison, and giving you the ability to rejoice behind the bars, instead of the bars crashing down.

The whole purpose of Jesus performing miracles, was not to just heal someone’s body, but to heal their souls and bring them to the Father.  Often times, we point people to the Savior, as they witness our endurance through our trials.  For instance, my friend Joni Eareckson Tada, who is a quadriplegic, draws thousand of people to Christ by the fact that she radiates joy IN HER WHEELCHAIR.  Again, the Lord could easily heal her body, and that would be miraculous, but He chooses to leave her in that wheelchair.  The miracle is not in removing the wheelchair, but in turning the wheelchair into a platform to display the glory of Christ.  He turned tragedy into triumph and what a miracle that is.  Whenever I see Joni, I think of Jesus.  There could be no greater privilege for a person than that.

Today, if you are praying for a miracle, remember that miracles come in all shapes and sizes.  Don’t miss the miraculous while praying for your miracle.  The Lord may not take away the cancer, but He may give you an awesome opportunity to witness in the chemo ward or the radiation waiting room.  He may not give you the child you have been praying for but He may make you a spiritual mother to many.  He may not take away the stress at work, but He might just give you the grace to smile and be a testimony in the chaos.  Look around you my friend, the Lord’s hand is working miracles every single day!