Miracles and blessings are an everyday occurrence. We sometimes miss them because our perspective is distorted. What we consider a coincidence is really a miracle or a blessing from God. We do not give God the glory when something good happens in our lives and we call it a coincidence. A coincidence is “a situation in which events happen at the same time in a way that is not planned or expected” (Merriam-Webster.com). A coincidence is the world’s way of thinking and it distorts our perspective on life.
God performs miracles every day. Miracles are “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs” or “an unusual or wonderful event that is believed to be caused by the power of God” (Merriam-Webster.com). According to this definition, miracles only come from God and when miracles happen we see God’s power in our lives.
Miracles come in all different sizes! Maybe someone in front of you at a fast food restaurant paid for your meal unexpectedly. Maybe God provided for your financial needs by lowering or eliminating a bill. God may have healed you from an incurable illness. Whatever it may be, we can all think back to a moment where we have experienced God’s miracles in our lives.
Jesus performed 37 miracles in the New Testament. The Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – records all of Jesus’ miracles. The first miracle Jesus performed was in the Book of John, chapter 2, verses 1 through 11. Jesus was attending a wedding and they ran out of wine. In verses 6-8, it explains in great detail of how Jesus turned water into wine. The wine Jesus made was better than the original.
In the Book of Luke, chapter 5, verses 1 through 11, Jesus was by a lake talking to a crowd of people. Jesus saw that two boats were by the shoreline and the fishermen were washing their nets. Jesus stepped “into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon” and finished the sermon in the boat. Jesus then told Simon to “’put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (verse 3). Simon exclaimed that he was unable to catch any fish all night and was physically exhausted. Simon did as he was told and “they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break” (verse 6). Back in those days, fishing was a livelihood and it depended on the catch on how much money they brought home to provide for their families. Jesus took care of their financial needs and this story was a great way to show God’s supernatural power. In verses 10 through 11, it says that Simon left everything behind and followed Jesus. Simon’s encounter with Jesus changed his life forever.
In the Books of Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:1-15 tells about Jesus feeding more than 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. John 6:1-15 explains in detail how Jesus and the disciples fed over 5,000 people with a handful of food. In verses 5 through 6, Jesus asked one of His disciples, Philip, where they can buy enough food to feed the entire crowd and Philip said “’it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’” Andrew, another disciple, said “’here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”. According to verse 6, Jesus was testing Philip to see whether or not he had enough faith to know that Jesus had the power to feed the crowd with no one lacking food. As we continue reading, we find that Jesus not only fed the 5,000 but they had left overs. Matthew 14:20 says that “they all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketful of broken pieces that were left over.” In one moment, Jesus witnessed to over 5,000 people by doing something that was unexpected and impossible.
Jesus’ miracles never ceased to amaze the crowds. Jesus healed the sick, the crippled and the blind. He cast out demons and raised the dead. His works on earth showed people that His Father, God, was real and He can do the impossible. Jesus gave people hope when the world shunned them. Jesus brought light into a dark and weary world and He continues to bring hope into this world.
Faith.Hope.Love 