{"id":3198,"date":"2015-11-29T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2015-11-29T15:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3198"},"modified":"2015-12-13T08:05:54","modified_gmt":"2015-12-13T14:05:54","slug":"choose-to-recognize-a-miracle-when-you-see-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3198","title":{"rendered":"Choose to Recognize a Miracle When You See One"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>A Year of Choices\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>By Barbara Dahlgren from Barbara\u2019s Banter at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/\">www.barbdahlgren.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Miracles-never-cease-to-exist.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-3199\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Miracles-never-cease-to-exist.jpg\" alt=\"Miracles never cease to exist\" width=\"250\" height=\"206\" \/><\/a>Oswald Chambers said, \u201cWe look for visions from heaven and for earth shaking events to see God\u2019s power\u2026 One of the most amazing revelations of God comes to us when we learn that it is in the everyday things of life that we realize the magnificent deity of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately people don\u2019t want to see the miracles in everyday life.\u00a0 They want to experience a faith healing or spectacular event before they will believe in God\u2019s existence.\u00a0 This philosophy can be dangerous because not all supernatural happenings come from God.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says to beware of those who foretell dreams or signs and wonders that come to pass, then encourage you to follow other gods than the one true God.\u00a0 So others besides God can perform certain signs and wonders.<\/li>\n<li>Mark 13:22-23 tells us to be on guard because some can perform miracles that can deceive us into thinking they represent Christ.<\/li>\n<li>Matthew 7:22-23 tells us that <strong>many <\/strong>will come to God pointing out that they had performed miracles but God will say, \u201cI never knew you.\u00a0 Get away you evildoers!\u201d<\/li>\n<li>2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 reminds us that Satan has the power to perform counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders.<\/li>\n<li>Exodus 7:11 recounts how Moses and Aaron performed miracles such as having a staff turn into a snake, but Pharaoh summoned his sorcerers and they did the same thing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sometimes God provides supernatural happenings and sometimes He doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 In Christ\u2019s hometown of Galilee Christ didn\u2019t do many miracles because of their lack of faith.\u00a0 (Matthew 13:58)\u00a0 Was this because Christ\u2019s miracles are dependent on our faith?\u00a0 Not at all!\u00a0\u00a0 But what would have been the point?\u00a0 They wouldn\u2019t have believed anyway, because contrary to popular opinion, miracles do not increase belief.\u00a0 The Israelites proved that.\u00a0 God performed miracle after miracle for them, including parting the Red Sea and they still didn\u2019t believe He could take care of them in the Promised Land.<\/p>\n<p>The need for Christ to authenticate His message through miracles has long passed.\u00a0 His message speaks for itself.\u00a0\u00a0 Sadly some professing Christians are still seeking signs and wonders long after their conversion.\u00a0 This is not so much that they doubt Christ\u2019s existence as they are looking for a \u201chigh\u201d that comes from the miracle. But when we are always looking for the next \u201cbig thrill\u201d in our lives to feel God\u2019s presence we forget that He has been with us all along.\u00a0 We miss the daily walk.\u00a0 We miss what is right in front of our eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Consider this\u2026 In biblical times many missed the miracle of Christ\u2019s birth because they were looking for another kind of miracle \u2013 a Messiah descending from heaven with a flaming sword of righteousness to deliver them from oppressive Roman rule.\u00a0 They did not recognize the Christ child in the manger as their Savior.\u00a0 They missed what was right before their eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Do we see God in our everyday lives?\u00a0 Do we see God when the 6 o\u2019clock alarm rings, when we take a shower, brush our teeth, carpool the kids, drive to work in the same old car to the same old job and come home to the same old family, then cook something to eat, do the dishes, help with homework, and fall into bed dog tired?\u00a0 Can we cheerfully get up and do it all again the next day and stay totally centered on God?\u00a0 That\u2019s a miracle.<\/p>\n<p>Healthy Christians are able to go through life without God having to supernaturally zap them with an addictive spiritual methamphetamine to get them through the day.\u00a0 As we grow in God\u2019s grace we realize the miracle of God revealing Himself to us all the time.\u00a0 It might be in the laughter of a child, the smile of a coworker, clouds in the sky, sunlight on a window pain, or a flower garden.<\/p>\n<p>Do we realize that life itself is a miracle?\u00a0 The whole universe is one miracle after another \u2013 not chance happenings but actual miracles!\u00a0 If we are truly looking for a miracle, we need look no further than where we are.\u00a0 For where we are, God will be.\u00a0 He\u2019ll never leave us or never forsake us no matter what.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t see that as a miracle, there is no need to look anywhere else, because we\u2019ll never find it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Life-is-a-miracle....jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3200\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Life-is-a-miracle...-300x298.jpg\" alt=\"Life is a miracle...\" width=\"300\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Life-is-a-miracle...-300x298.jpg 300w, https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Life-is-a-miracle...-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Life-is-a-miracle....jpg 504w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Suggestions for practicing this choice\u2026 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ask God to help you see the miracles around you in everyday life.\u00a0 Here are five quotes to help\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0\u201cThe invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miracle in the common.\u201d ~Ralph Waldo Emerson<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThere are only two ways to live your life.\u00a0 One is as though nothing is a miracle.\u00a0 The other is as if everything is.\u201d ~Albert Einstein<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI\u2019m realistic \u2013 I expect miracles.\u201d ~Wayne Dyer<\/li>\n<li>\u201cEach of my days are miracles.\u00a0 I won\u2019t waste my day.\u00a0 I won\u2019t throw away my miracle.\u201d ~Kelley Vicstrom<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhere there is great love, there are always miracles.\u201d ~Willa Cather<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Year of Choices\u2026 By Barbara Dahlgren from Barbara\u2019s Banter at\u00a0www.barbdahlgren.com Oswald Chambers said, \u201cWe look for visions from heaven and for earth shaking events to see God\u2019s power\u2026 One of the most amazing revelations of God comes to us &hellip; 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