Life Beyond Miracles
Bob Yandian
Which Door Would You Choose?
If two doors were placed in front of you, one marked “Miracles” and the other marked “Blessings,” which one would you choose? If you are like most Christians, you would choose the “Miracles” door, but that would be the wrong choice.
We have assumed for many years that miracles are the goal and pinnacle for the Christian life. We hear stories of supernatural protection against death, money provided through supernatural means, or cars running for days without gas.
We long for those things to happen again in our lives as they did when we first met the Lord. We feel as if we are no longer “spiritual,” but because miraculous things occur to us now only on rare occasions.
Those types of miracles may have happened quite often in your early Christian walk, but would you want to return to those days? If you are like me, your answer is no.
God has something planned for our lives which is better than miracles; it is a life filled with His blessings.
The Longest-Running Miracle in the Bible
God gave a miracle to the children of Israel which lasted the entire 40 years they were in the desert. Each morning, manna fell supernaturally from heaven, and each evening quail filled the camp for meat. All the people had to was walk outside the door of their tent to find food catered by God. What room service!!
God gave man food from heaven for 40 years! But was this God’s best? Had the children of Israel arrived at the peak of their spiritual walk with the Lord? The answer is no.
God had originally intended that Israel stay in the wilderness for no more than one year. At the end of the first year, the entire congregation came to the border of the Promised Land but retreated in fear and unbelief when they heard the report of the 10 spies.
For 39 more years, they wandered in the wilderness until their generation died and their children could go into the land given by God. Yet the miracles of the quail and the manna continued each day, even when they were in unbelief and rebellion to the will of God!
God’s best was for the congregation to eat the crops which grew in Canaan. His desire was to bless them with bigger and better crops than they had ever had before.
The blessings of Canaan did not stop after a period of time, as the manna had; they were to continue and increase. Manna was God’s will for only a short period of time.
God’s best was for Israel to live on His blessings, not His miracles.
The Difference Between Miracles and Blessings
~Miracles are God’s “jump start” into a life of blessings. It is wonderful when they happen but we do not want to live on jump starts.
~Miracles come in a crisis, but blessings keep the crisis from coming.
~Miracles come in small amounts, but blessings come in great abundance.
~Miracles are only enough for you and your family, but blessings are enough for you and others, too.
~Miracles can come even when you are in unbelief, but blessings demand responsibility and obedience.
~In a miracle, God works for you; in blessings, God works with you.
~By definition, a miracle is a divine intervention into the laws of nature. In miracles, God works against nature; but in blessings, God works with natural laws.
~Miracles are temporary, but blessings are eternal.
God only parted the Red Sea one time. The children of Israel only crossed over Jordan miraculously one time. Fire was called down from heaven in Elijah’s ministry one time. Jesus turned water into wine only one time and performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes only twice.
People did not receive loaves and fishes multiplied every day, but ate of the fruits of their labor. As we grow and mature, God wants to bless the works of our hands.
A Life of Blessings
When we are in need of a miracle, our mind is continually occupied with the need. The crisis consumes our time and thoughts. Thank God, He has not lost the recipe for manna. He can still come through with a miracle for us! But this is not God’s best.
God’s desire is for us to be consumed with Him, not our needs. If we are constantly thinking about our needs and how we are going to eat and pay our bills, how are we any better than sinners? Jesus told His followers:
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” (Matthew 6:31-34)
