Mid-Week Devotional

Miracles Among Us.....

by Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  John 1: 14 (KJV)

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. – 1 Kings 19: 11- 12 (KJV)


  One of the great themes of Christmas is the idea of “miracles”. Not only do we use it as a theme in our worship services (ie; the themes of Promise or Hope in our Advent celebrations), but it is also a major theme of the cultural celebration of Christmas: mas; consider the classic movies like Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, and even Elf!


One might ask, then, “What does ‘miracle’ really mean?” I’m not going to offer the Merriam-Webster definition… instead I’ll offer a common faith definition: viz., that a “miracle” is when God breaks through and intervenes into our ordinary lives.


This is a definition that many of us would hang onto… we pray for a miracle and unless we see or experience something truly extraordinary, we assume God is being silent on a particular issue or concern. It is a belief I and probably you, if you’re being honest, hold onto if not intellectually, at least pragmatically.


And there is some truth in this definition, but there is also one major problem!


You see, this definition seems to assume that God is not at work… not present in the world except in extraordinary times. And the truth of the matter is, the story of Jesus and His promise to us is that He is present with us at all times, whether it be in the form of the Holy Spirit or some extraordinary function (Matthew 28:20).


Maybe, just maybe, the lesson of Elijah and the passing of God informs us of the reality of miracles in our lives.  


You see, Elijah, feeling alone and desperate- as if no one cared and that God was not doing enough, was told to go out and watch… and when he did, it was not the moving of the mountains or the force of the storm in which he found God’s presence, but in the still small voice…the Word that would eventually become flesh and dwell among us!


In this time of war and of crisis that feels so extraordinary (although in truth… is it really???), don’t fall into the trap of believing God is not at work just because you don’t see “fire and brimstone”. God is present and at work in our world… but maybe not in the business of our world. Maybe we need to stop and listen, wait and ponder, breathe, and believe that God is near… just as promised.


And if we do that, maybe just maybe, we will hear God’s still small voice… maybe we will experience the touch of Jesus’s hand and be warmed by the fire of the Spirit welling up in our hearts and souls anew.


You see the “miracle” is not God breaking through into our lives, it is our opening ourselves to see God at work. May God grant you and me that gift again this Christmas season. 


Amen.


Prayer  

Shelter us Lord as you did Elijah, show us Lord again your presence, help us Lord to see your hand at work in our world and to hear your voice as you lead us into faithful service for you. 

Amen