We all want to see miracles happen in our lives. We want to see God do the humanly impossible. We want Him to do for us things that we could never do.
And so we pray, we plead with God, we cry out to Him. Many times, however, we get disappointed. We prayed hard, but God didn't seem to give us what we prayed for. We asked, but did not receive the miracle we hoped for.
Why does this happen?
The Miracle Maker
Friends, we all read several Bible accounts where God, in His goodness, did miracles for His people. We read Him do these awesome things at different times and in different places. Different people experienced them, witnessed them, and heard about them.
We read God rescuing Israel from Egypt with the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. We read Him protecting them in the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to keep them warm and their paths illuminated. (see Exodus and Deuteronomy)
We read God providing for Israel bread from heaven. We read Him giving them water from the rock. We read God winning wars and battles for them. (see Joshua)
In the New Testament, we read Jesus healing the sick. Some of these healings were quite extraordinary: He spat on the ground to make a mud salve to let a blind man see; He only spoke and a centurion's servant was healed from afar; and an old woman only had to touch the fringe of His clothing to be healed from an issue of blood. (see John 9:3-8; Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 8:43-48)
Christ Jesus even produced wine from water. He turned five loaves of bread and two fish into a feast that was able to feed thousands, with some leftover for others. Think about that. (see John 2:1-11; Matthew 14:13-21)
Jesus also allowed Peter to walk on water. He also allowed Peter to haul in a great catch from the sea. Funny, He even told Peter to get money from a fish's mouth, so they could pay taxes (see Matthew 14:22-33; John 21:4-7; Matthew 17:24-27).
Amazing, right? These and many other miracles cause us to want to see miracles ourselves. But why don't we see them? Why doesn't God do miracles in our lives?
It could very well be because of us. We doubt Him. We don't believe Him.
Our unbelief in Christ spoils it
The Bible tells us that Jesus didn't do many mighty works in His own hometown of Nazareth. This isn't because He was powerless. It definitely is not because He was shy. Moreover, it's not because He was conscious of what people would think as they knew Him as the son of Joseph the carpenter and Mary.
It's because the people there did not believe in Him.
"Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (Matt. 13:58)
This should make us ask ourselves. When we pray to Him and His response seems delayed, do we stop believing in Him? When we desperately ask Him to do a miracle, do we waver between believing He will do it and believing He won't?
Friends, our unbelief doesn't render Him powerless but it does hinder our ability to receive what He wants to give to us according to His will.
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15)
