The Beginning Of Biblical Miracles

Beginnings of Biblical Miracles

WHAT’S IN YOUR HAND?

Have you ever had one of those days? Just one of those days when you can (or have to) push your way through it, or crawl back?

I did.

I started catching the bus to work awhile back. I have never caught the bus before, so let me tell you about my first experience doing so. The morning ride went well. I knew what bus to catch. I was watchful and got off in the right place (I was very proud of myself).

Going home was another story all together. I forgot to check what time my bus would come so I caught the same number bus home (54). I sat on the bus only to realize that 2 seats over was an ex girlfriend that I had separated with a number of years ago on bad terms (yes, even pastors have pasts). The Lord told me to talk to her. I argued with God and tried to reason with him as to why I didn’t need to, but eventually did. Whew! That was tough.

When I got near to home, I realized that I had gotten on the wrong bus (there is an upper and lower 54)! I would be several miles away from where I was supposed to get off! I step off the bus in a grouchy mood (yes, even pastors get grouchy), and called my wife to pick me up. She says that she will be there in a few minutes (praise God). Then I hear a passerby car honking his horn at me. HONK! HONK! HONK! What is wrong with these Honolulu people? I turn and realize that it is my cousin who is driving by and offering me a ride. I graciously thanked him for the offer and tell him that my wife is coming to pick me up. “God bless you, God bless you!”

Shortly after he leaves, I see our van coming down the street and begin to wave it down to let Laura know where I am. I wave the van down like a madman to be sure that she sees me and stops, only to realize that in Honolulu, we are not the only family that owns a blue 1998 Toyota Sienna van. In trying to wave her down, I had just about car jacked a family I don’t know on the side of the street!

One of those days. On those days, you sometimes have to just push through it.

Turn to Exodus 4, put your finger in that part of the bible and then flip to Luke 13 and we will look at the beginnings of the miraculous.

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Have you ever had things not go the way you planned it? Has God ever worked in your life contrary to how you thought He should? You think things will go a certain way, but in the end, it turns out really different from what you expected. You think you know what is going on, but midway through, you realize that things are not turning out how you thought they would. You plan things out, but it doesn’t go as you thought it would.

You come to church and think God will make your problems all go away, but you find that now you have more problems than ever.

You give your heart to Jesus and think that surely He will protect you and your family, and you find out that someone in your family has a terminal illness.

You try to get involved serving in the church because surely church people are the best people to be around, but get hurt because of gossip, jealousy, and some plain mean spirited people in the church.

You’re a student trying to live a Christian life in school, but are finding it so hard because your friends around you don’t share your same values.

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I want to show you today, something the Lord has been showing me about the beginnings of biblical miracles because it does not appear to be the way most of us may think. God doesn’t necessarily work miracles in the way that Hollywood portrays it. When we think a miracle is happening, we think about winning the lottery, an instant healing, someone’s limbs growing back, our bank accounts having an all-of-a-sudden sum of money deposited.

Let’s talk first about Exodus 4.

God is about to use Moses to deliver 2 million Jewish people from slavery in Egypt and to have them journey into a land that He promised their ancestors. Where does God begin? He comes to Moses in what? God comes to Moses in a burning bush (we have all seen the Price of Egypt) and speaks to him. But Moses, unlike the confident heroes in the movies, doesn’t jump up like Superman and gets into action. He is a lot more like you and me. He hesitates. He doubts. He asks a lot of “what if” questions. Let’s take a look at Moses’ calling in Exodus 4….