Accompanying Video

Introduction

Most Christians learn to pray to God when they want or need something. We are told to have faith in God and know that He will come through for us. Sometimes, our situation is so dire that we think the only way out is by a miracle. That is when we bunker down and pray vehemently to God to rescue us.

It could be an upcoming foreclosure date on a home, a deadline for tuition, or another seemingly hopeless situation. We need a miracle to get through the challenge. We often think of that miracle as something like money falling out of the sky. We have no control over it, and it happens unexpectedly at the right time.

However, I think there is an aspect of miracles that we overlook. This idea hit me some time ago while I watched a PureFlix movie, “An Interview With God.” Great movie. I recommend watching it. We want God to do so much for us, but we have the power to do more than we think. We can be a miracle for someone else.

God Works Through People

I noticed in the Bible that God worked through people. For example, why did He need Moses to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt? Why did God need any of the men and women in the Bible to carry out His will? The climax question is why God needed the man Yeshua ben Josef (Jesus) to die for our sins and provide salvation to us. Why couldn’t God just speak His will in existence, and it happens?

The simple fact is God works through people and the activities of people.

Joseph and the Egyptian Famine

Consider Joseph’s story. He was sold into slavery by his brothers and ended up being second to the Pharoah of Egypt. Because of Joseph, countless people had food during a seven-year famine (Genesis 41). The interesting thing about that story is that Pharoah had the dreams, yet God revealed what He was about to do to Joseph. Why didn’t God just tell Pharoah what He would do instead of giving him a dream that needed to be interpreted? Well, that is the subject of another question I often ask myself: Why does God seem to be so coy?

For now, we see that Joseph was at the right place at the right time to help Pharoah. God used Joseph to tell Pharoah about a severe famine that would occur after seven years of abundance in Egypt. That has always fascinated me how God used Joseph. He did the same for many others too. God works through people the same way He used Joseph and many others, as recorded in the Bible.

Self-Centered and Selfish

Over twenty years ago, a minister said Christians tend to be selfish and self-centered. We tend to pray to God for what we need or want. He made the point that we typically do not pray for the needs of others. He gave an example where a Christian has a payment deadline approaching of $5,000. He prays to God for the $5,000 to pay his bill. Why didn’t he pray to God for $10,000 so he could pay his bill and help someone else pay theirs?

We expect God to do everything when the Bible reveals that He doesn’t operate that way. For example, God will not magically drop a bag of money with $5,000 in it from the sky to help you. He will show you what you can do to get the $5,000, or someone else may come to your rescue.

We should practice loving our neighbor as ourselves more, which is one of the greatest commandments (Matthew 22:39).

Selfishness Fueled by Religion

I think we learn to be even more selfish in church, i.e., from Religion. We are told to tithe so that we can be blessed. Ministers equate blessings as having expensive cars, houses, jewelry, etc. I rarely hear ministers associating abundance with the ability to help multitudes of people.

We are told to give to the local church or ministry, and God will bless us. However, you will rarely hear them telling you to give to your neighbor who is in financial distress. Religion will not promote the idea of helping your family and friends financially or with your resources. Instead, religion trains us to think of ourselves.

Religion trains us to expect God to do everything and that every person fends for themselves concerning obtaining the things we need or want. Consider the following passage of Scripture.

Matthew 19:21 (NKJV) — 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

The rich man was concerned only about himself and how he could enter life. Jesus showed him that a perfect (mature) life is to help the poor, i.e., those in need. He would have treasures in heaven if he did that. We can be the same way sometimes. We are so focused on ourselves and our needs that we neglect to see and love our neighbors. We are so focused on our religious duties (tithing, giving to the pastor, etc.) that we fail to help those around us.

Be a Miracle

If God works through people to meet the needs of people, He can work through you to meet the needs and help those around you. A minister once said that he wanted to be the best wire he could possibly be for God. God is the source, and people are the vessels, like an electrical source and a light. The electricity (power) is useless unless there is a wire to bring that power to the light. Likewise, we can be “wires” for God to bring His power to help others.

People want a miracle when sometimes you can be that miracle. Ask yourself how you can help someone around you. Throw away the notion that you must tithe to your local church to be blessed by God. God is more concerned about helping those in need. That is a consistent theme throughout the entire Bible.

Be the miracle. Be the vessel God uses to help others. Think of a way that you can help someone else with no strings attached. Don’t look for praise from people or recognition. Just help someone with whatever you have and however, you can. Think of the many times God helped you through someone else. Perhaps someone gave you the money you needed or encouragement. Perhaps someone stopped and prayed for you and with you. You can be the miracle the same way others were for you.

Put religion aside and do the will of God.

1. Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength
2. Love others as you love yourself

Love others by being a miracle for them. Ask yourself what you can do right now to be a miracle to someone else. Perhaps you can call someone to encourage them. Whatever it is, do it as soon as you can. There are people around you right now waiting for a miracle. How blessed they will be when they see you on God’s behalf. Amen.