Everyone loves a good miracle. We are so drawn to it because it uplifts our hearts and builds our faith. What does it take to see and experience a miracle in our life? God can bring many things to brew up a miraculous event, but there's always one thing that must be present.
Last weekend, I was at a discipleship conference and one of the speakers said this, on the topic of miracles and the power of the Holy Spirit: The one thing that every miracle needs to happen is a crisis—a challenge, a certain lack or a problem that we cannot face on our own. When there is no challenge that overwhelms us, we won't need a miracle. It actually makes so much sense, but not many realise this on the outset.
When we face a crisis, often the first reaction of many is to doubt or question God as if He's never going to be able to do anything extraordinary. But when crisis comes, we must understand that God allowed it so that He could work a wonderful miracle in our lives through the power of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (ESV). Jesus spoke this boldly through the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9b. You can actually rephrase that to say, "Crisis comes to exalt my perfect power."
When Jesus healed the sick, it was because they were sick in the first place. When He freed the demon-possessed it was because they were possessed. None of these miracles would have happened if there was no crisis. In one instance, the disciples asked Jesus about a blind man, assuming that the crisis was supposed to highlight the sin of the man. In John 9:3, Jesus replied, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him" (ESV).
Crisis comes not to highlight our brokenness and weakness, although it's important that we acknowledge that. Crisis comes to exalt and bring glory to the power of God. God wants to display His power upon you but before that He has to allow crisis to enter your life.
And here's an interesting thought: The bigger the crisis, the bigger the miracle. If we only have small crises then life wouldn't really be supernatural would it? God can sometimes allow moments of intense and ferocious trials so that He can answer with His ferocious power and love. The next time you face a crisis, don't think of it as a hindrance to God's power in your life but an opportunity to become the next highlighted miracle God does through you.
