Have you heard someone say, "if God would do a miracle right in front of me, then I would believe?" Maybe you have said it. I'm not necessarily talking about the "God; if you get me out of this, I will give you my life" kind of declaration. They are a bit different, in my humble opinion. The reality of the first situation is the Bible reveals even miracles may not draw people to the person of God in His Son, Jesus Christ. Folks can choose to believe. They choose to believe in so many things that they depend on every day. The struggle with choosing God is there are moral and practical requirements once a person surrenders to the grace provided for salvation.
Once a person understands there is no other way to the Father besides His Son, accepts the free gift provided by the work He did on the cross, and in His resurrection, there is a faith that works and an obedient, surrendered life to be lived. People aren't looking for a miracle because Romans 1 says they are simply suppressing the Truth that is visible to all men. The creation all around us is proof that there is a Creator. I know folks have bastardized that for their purposes. Well, mostly, it proves miracles don't make people believe or surrender.
Moses led Israel out of Egypt, seeing and experiencing miracle after miracle, and they continually turned their back on God. They watched as the plagues destroyed the Egyptian people and land. They walked through the Red Sea on dry land, watching the Angel of The Lord through a pillar of clouds stand between them and the Egyptian Army to keep them safe. They watched as Moses cried out to the Lord, and bitter water became sweet. They gathered bread called Manna to come down from heaven to satisfy their hunger. Where there wasn't any water, God provided water from a rock. God gave them victory in battle with the Amalekites. Now it was time to enter the promised land.
After all, they experienced with the God who delivered, provided, and protected them, you'd think faith was abounding. They experienced the miracles right before their eyes; they should have no doubt jumping aboard all God still had planned for them. They'd be ready to run into the land flowing with milk and honey. You would think. Numbers 13 & 14 tell us miracles don't always make people believe.
In Numbers 13, Moses sends spies into the land God promised the people. The spies "brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out." In chapter 14, there were two who had faith and reported, "the land which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. if the LORD delights in us he will bring us into this land and give it to us..." The difference between the latter two men over those who lacked faith was their hope in God, not what miracle he'd perform. They didn't know how God would keep His Word, but they trusted He would. The two went on to say, "and the LORD is with us..." That is where faith foments. True faith comes from knowing God. His miracles help us draw closer to him when we already have faith, but they don't always bring us to the faith that allows us to put our total weight on Him.
Though the people were reminded of God's good purpose for them, they wanted to stone those with the good report. All they saw and experienced meant nothing to them. God addressed the group, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?" It's evident from those questions God will do miracles to help grow our faith in Him. He also knows it doesn't mean we will have faith in Him though we should.
It is also stated in the New Testament that miracles don't always cause us to grow in our faith or to start trusting in God. John 12:37 "though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him..." It sounds like John was quoting from God, himself, and this experience with Israel. This is a real thing. We see it in Scripture. We know people who God has rescued miraculously. He even used practical means at a necessary time to take care of people, especially during desperate times, and yet that has not brought them to faith.
Faith allows us to depend on something or someone who has proven dependable. We use it daily to rely on things or others who are less than reliable. We give them chance after chance and failure. God has proven himself completely faithful. The struggle for many is God may not do things the way they'd prefer. They hold tightly to temporary items, and those things are taken away. That may not be God who does that, but He gets the blame.
Here's the reality God's Word says, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" 2 Peter 3. God doesn't want us to want Him for His miracle work He may do in your life or mine. He wants us to want Him because He is God and a good God. If miracles do not draw us to believe, what do you need? Most people rejecting God do it based on a bias they hold nothing or no one else to. They say the Bible is antiquated and old-fashioned, yet those same people read other historical works without question of their reliability. They speak of historical men or women they've never met without doubting if they ever lived. When it comes to Jesus, there is nothing but questions and doubts. No wonder miracles don't make an impact on faith.
Folks may say, "maybe you won't believe it because you're not one of the elect." That's a different blog altogether. I believe because God wants no one to perish in their sins, he is drawing all men to Himself. His Spirit is working in the lives of all mankind. We have the choice to reject that work. Sadly, many do reject Him. None of us will be able to say we didn't have all the evidence necessary to believe in Him. God told Israel they should trust Him based on all the signs and wonders He did for them. The hand of God, HIs miracle power, reveals the face of God, His Person, and His Faithfulness.
You may find that you are guilty of a similar thing. God has shown Himself through creation, signs, wonders, faithful Disciples, and more. Will God need to ask of you, "How long will you not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among you?"
Comments