Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Forgotten Miracles


Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. Even so, he saved them—to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power.  Psalm 106.7-8

I came across these verses in my time with God this week and it immediately transported me back to a conversation I had with my Dad recently.
My Dad loves to share Jesus with others and this particular day he was having a conversation with a disillusioned young man.  This troubled man said he couldn’t be believe in the Bible because he had never seen a miracle and he felt it was all a bit unrealistic.  My Dad replied, “You’ve never seen a miracle?!  I’ve seen a lot of miracles in my life!”  And for the next two hours shared with this man all the miracles he had seen and experienced in his life.

As I was listening to my father share this story, I wondered . . .

Would I be able to talk for two hours about the miracles I’ve seen and experienced in my life?
It’s not that I haven’t experienced miracles . . .

It’s just I’ve forgotten . . .   
How easy it is then when we get in difficult places, like the Israelites were – back up against the wall (the Red Sea), to begin to question God.  His power?  His greatness?  His goodness? 

We assume He has set us up to fail.  We listen to the lies that say He’s a dangling-carrot-kind-of-God who takes great joy in yanking things away whenever He feels like it.  We believe He’s a game-playing God who wants to see if we’ll flinch or yell “Uncle”.  We accept as truth, because of what we see, that He’s a malicious, vindictive, and troubling God.
Why? 

I propose it’s because we’ve forgotten.  We’ve forgotten the ways He’s demonstrated to us His might and power.  His unending love.  His elaborate grace.  We’ve forgotten that He is greater.  Wiser.  All-powerful. Simply, we’ve forgotten the miracles.
So how do we keep from forgetting and wallowing in our pain and disillusionment?
We choose to remember.  We make note.  We write down and hold close our God-sightings.

And when the times of disillusionment come, when we feel God has backed us into a corner, left us hanging out to dry, we remember the treasure trove of God-miracles, we bring them out into the light and cling to their truth instead of what we feel.

I don’t know where this Christmas Season finds you.  Times of joy or sorrow?  Times of laughter or disillusionment?  Wherever you are, whatever situation you find yourself in, may you choose to REMEMBER! 
Remember God’s outrageous grace. His priceless gift.  His unending love.  His forever promises.

Remember the miracles you have seen and experienced in your life, let them remind you of God’s great power and might, even when you cannot see! 
When we choose to remember, we will have what we need to face whatever comes our way, without allowing them to shake our foundation and demolish our belief in God.
Let's start by remembering the greatest miracle of all . . .  

God becoming one of us!