Are you facing an insurmountable obstacle? Does it appear that there is no way out? Have you run out of options? Is the enemy whispering in your ear that God has abandoned you? Don’t panic! Help is not only on the way help is here. When the doctors keep shaking their heads as though their word is final, lift up your head, force a smile on your face and keep your faith. Jesus told Peter that Satan desired to sift him like wheat. I’m sure Peter’s heart sank. But things shifted when Jesus continued. But I have prayed for you so that your faith will not fail. Luke 22:31-32
I heard a song the other day that has grabbed my faith by the hand. It says
“Friday’s disappointment is Sunday’s empty tomb, since when has impossible ever stopped You?” Isn’t that a great line? The Lord steps in when all our help steps out. He does His best work unassisted. All that’s required of us is that we believe. He told me after a major surgery, preparing me for a setback, “It doesn’t matter what it looks like, I’m healing you.” Those words were as solid to me as Him saying to Peter, “I have prayed for you.” Listen to what the scripture records for us.
“But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Hebrews 7:24-25 NKJV
Who’s the ‘them’ in that verse? That’s right. Us. He’s always praying for us. That word intercession means He’s always intervening or coming between our circumstances and the desired outcome. He ever lives. He’s not dead nor is he deaf. He is actively involved in our lives. He wouldn’t be God if He was surprised by the things we face in our lives. Knowing that should make us confident that He also knows the outcome. Don’t allow doubt and fear to rob you of peace. The songwriter was spot on when he wrote, “God specializes in things thought impossible.” Don’t rob Him of the opportunity to do a miracle in your life.
When Jairus’ servant showed up to tell him that his daughter was dead, He could’ve walked away disappointed that he had come to Jesus for help, but his daughter died anyway. Instead he hung on to Jesus' words, “Don’t be afraid, only believe. Mark 5:36; Luke 8:50. By trusting Jesus’ word he received his miracle. The same thing happened to the centurion's servant. Jesus wanted to go with him, but he prevented Him. He had faith to believe that a word from Jesus was sufficient. He too received his miracle. Matthew 8:13
I have read stories where doctors have told parents to abort their babies. These women refused and stood on God’s Word instead. They chose to not rob God of the opportunity to do a miracle. They delivered healthy babies. They told me I wouldn’t get pregnant, and that if I did, I’d never make it to term. Well not only did I make it to full term I delivered a healthy eight pound daughter who’s doing awesome today. Give God a challenge and He will never back down. I have been diagnosed with thyroid nodules. The Endocrinologist says mine will never shrink. I smiled and said Lord he’s given You a challenge. I’ll keep you posted. I will never pass on an opportunity for God to perform a miracle in my life.
When the Egyptian army was pursuing Israel and the people were freaking out, The Lord said to Moses “ why are you crying to Me? What’s in your hand? Moses replied, “opportunity.” God said “ let’s do this!” Moses said “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!” Well it doesn’t quite read like that but it could’ve. 🙄 We know the story. God used a piece of wood in Moses’ hand, and parted the Red Sea, so that the Israelites got to the other side in time to see pharaoh’s army get buried. Exodus 14. God’s miracles are so seamless that we can forget that it’s supernatural. He makes it look easy. Like one moment you’re told you have a month to live and thirty years later you’re still here. What happened? The doctor gave God a challenge, and He performed a miracle on your behalf. The caretaker of one of my neighbors shared with me that they had given her mother in law four months to live. They decided not to share the news with her. Four years later the woman is still alive. The moral of the story is: Sometimes what you know is more dangerous than what you don’t know. Side trip.
We let bad news derail and destroy us. But the way God sees it is very different. Whenever we give up, we’re robbing Him of what He does best. Jesus performed more miracles than anyone who ever walked the earth. He said, ``I only do what I see My Father do.” He never robbed His Father of the opportunity to do miracles. The only place that we read of that He couldn’t do any miracles was in His hometown of Nazareth. Miracles cease where unbelief is allowed to breed.
Without repeating the questions I asked earlier, what do you need the Miracle Worker to do for you today? There’s nothing too big or too small, nothing too hard for our God. He doesn’t need your help, all He needs is your faith. Everything I’ve mentioned took faith on the person's part to receive their miracle. Have you been robbing God of His opportunity to show up in your situation? He’s not short on miracles, but He is short on requests. The Bible says we receive when we ask. Yes He can read your minds, but because this isn’t a monologue, He enjoys dialogue with His children. Don’t buy into the lie that you’re going through whatever it is because God is teaching you a lesson or wants your attention. The Bible says He gives good gifts to His children. James 1:17; Matthew 7:11; Psalms 84:11
When you’re facing what seems to be the barrel of a gun and the bullet has your name on it Or when circumstances scream you won’t get through this- You have choices to make. You can stand down, or you can stand on the unfailing promises of the Word of God. I recently wrote a message of different confessions in the Word you can use when going through life attacks. You can give up by giving in to the enemy’s lies, you can question the authenticity of the Word and walk in anger and indifference, or you can contend and pray like the outcome depends completely on God and working as if it depends completely on you. The miracle is in your mouth and the Miracle Worker stands ready to do what only He can.
“Contending for what you believe in is harder than conceding to what you’re afraid of, but it’s the only option if you want to live by faith.” M. Batterson.
Remember what the writer of Hebrews said: Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. He never sleeps, He never takes naps. He’s very aware of what’s happening in the lives of over seven billion plus people on the planet, yet He’s concerned for you. When you’re too overwhelmed to pray, The Holy Spirit takes over. Romans 8:26-27. Maybe your miracle is as close as you asking. I see a picture of God the Father and Jesus just rubbing their hands together in excited anticipation saying “go ahead ask for that healing, ask for your marriage to be restored, ask for that son or daughter to return home, ask for that impossible dream, ask for the new job, ask for a financial breakthrough, ask for that broken relationship to be restored with a parent or loved one, ask! Just ask!” Give Him the opportunity to do the unimaginable, don’t rob Him of the opportunity to do what only He can: MIRACLES.
“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.”
I John 5:14-15 NKJV
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
November 15, 2021