Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023 – Mark 1:35-2:22
Miracles are just things that happened in biblical times, right? I know that is a sentiment that some can hold. But, as a pastor, I’ve seen too many miracles with my own eyes to buy that – including in my own family.
Recently, I took my wife to the ER thinking she was having appendicitis. Turns out she had a mass on her right ovary “the size of a baby’s head.” An oncologist was brought in to do surgery, and he removed the mass. When he spoke to me afterward, he said what he saw “definitely looked cancerous” and we’d likely be “heading to chemotherapy next.” He said that he needed the pathology report to determine the next steps for certain.
My wife and I started putting on our armor to get ready for the fight and long road that lay before us. We prepared ourselves for the worst-case scenario. We also did something else. We activated as many people as possible to pray with us for a miracle.
We returned to the oncologist’s office a few days later to get the report. That’s when he informed us that “this is not the conversation I thought we’d be having. There is nothing that needs to be treated. You’re good to go. Praise the Lord.”
We left both shocked and praising God.
As Jesus demonstrates in our reading today, he is willing to heal (Mark 1:41). We don’t always understand why some are healed and others are not. We do not know why God chose us to experience this particular miracle, but it is one for which we absolutely give him all praise! Nothing short of God explains what happened.
And if that was the only miracle that I had experienced, it would be enough. But as I said, being a pastor, I’ve seen too many to not believe that God can bring miracles. He sees what we don’t see and knows what we don’t know. So, I can’t necessarily explain the why, but I can definitely trust the Who. I believe in miracles because I believe in the one who has the power to make them happen – Jesus!
Question for reflection:
- Do you believe in miracles? Why or why not? If you struggle to believe, ask God to open your eyes to see his miracles.
- Where do you need a miracle in your life?
- Reflect on these words from Isaiah: “See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory” (12:2).