Number 37 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

This post builds on the previous one so if you haven’t read it I encourage you to do that now.

I’ve seen miracles. Yep, full up unexplainable miracles.

I’ve prayed for people with incurable diseases and on a few occasions seen them healed.

Now that’s really cool and I could probably become famous except that I’ve also prayed for others and they eventually died.

Photo Credit: Angela Marie Henriette

That for me is the irritating thing about miracles.

They simply don’t always occur.

So some pastors teach that miracles aren’t valid today. They ended with the apostles so we really can’t expect them.

Others say if you don’t see them you simply don’t have enough faith. Whip up more faith. See the miracle.

But both of these responses leave people feeling helpless and hopeless. I mean either miracles can’t happen or I’m not super-spiritual enough to see them.  Either way ends in defeat and frustration. [Read more…]

Number 36 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

When I pastored a church there was no end of people with needs. People wanting prayer for physical illnesses, broken relationships, addictions, emotional distress, financial struggles.

With a prayer team I met with those wanting prayer after each service in our chapel. We asked God for miracles sometimes. And frankly we saw them.

Photo Credit: Angela Marie Henriette

People were healed amazingly. Estranged relationships were restored. Addictions overcome. People found peace who struggled with depression.

But sometimes miracles didn’t happen. And I also saw miracles occur that later unwound.

Frankly, it left me bewildered.

To this day I don’t have a clear understanding of why God works miraculously sometimes and other times he doesn’t. So if you’re looking for an all conclusive formula I don’t have it. But I think there are some similarities with the miracles Jesus performed. And there are also challenges.

In this story a man named Jairus hunts out Jesus to heal his young daughter who’s dying.

Jairus was a religious leader. One of the few who had anything to do with Jesus. Yet, he’s desperate and believes Jesus can heal his daughter if he’ll only come to his house.

But there were challenges ahead.

So challenge one, putting aside his pride and potential humiliation he comes to Jesus as he’s teaching. He pushes his way into the center of the crowd where he kneels and asks Jesus to come and heal his daughter. So Jesus goes with him.

Challenge two, on the way Jairus’ servant meets him and says, “Your daughter died a few minutes ago so don’t bother the teacher any longer.”

Jesus responds, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.”

Challenge three, they entered the house filled with people wailing. Until you’ve seen a funeral in the Middle East you don’t understand wailing.

So in the midst of the screeching Jesus says to Jairus, “Have the people put outside.” And Jairus does.

Challenge four, Jesus went to the room where the little girl lay dead. No fooling dead.

Then it says, “Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up!” (Matthew 9:25 NLT)

Boom! The miracle happened.

Challenge five, those who saw it told everyone they knew even those who ridiculed them. And the news spread like a flood.

Next time I want to draw some conclusions from these challenges.

I don’t know all the answers but I can tell you this.

I’ve seen miracles. And they’re always challenging.

What are your thoughts about the challenges of miracles?

Please share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter or email me. Thanks.