Is He the Same God?
The God of the Bible is a God of mighty miracles.
The six days of creation filled with God’s creative wonders stand as exhibit number one. But there is a running tally of miracles throughout Scripture’s pages.
For example, the rescuing of Noah, his family and the animal kinds from the worldwide flood, or a bit later in history, the forced introduction of new languages at the Tower of Babel.
Then there was the impressive ten plagues poured onto Egypt, the pillar of fire and cloud that led the Israelites out of captivity, the dry path through the Red Sea and the collapsing waters that wiped out Pharaoh’s army, the daily manna from heaven and water springing from a rock that nourished God’s people while traveling en masse in the barren wilderness.
The tumbling walls of Jericho might also come to mind. Or the miracles God performed through (and for!) Elijah and Elisha or the other prophets. Dead people raised back to life; poisonous water made drinkable; an Aramean army struck blind on a sneak attack; fire pouring down from heaven to burn up a sacrifice and the altar it was on.
Shutting the mouths … and the ravenous hunger … of lions in a lions’ pit for Daniel is also memorable, as is the sparing of the three men in the fiery furnace. The hand appearing and writing on the Babylonian King Balshazzar’s wall is also noteworthy. (See what I did there?)
Then comes the cavalcade of Jesus’ miracles! Turning water to wine, walking on the waves and silencing storms. Healing a host of sickness (some seemingly incurable!), bringing sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the mute and bringing corpses back to life. Revealing the hidden thoughts of peoples’ hearts.
Tremendous miracles, all! The miracles pop off the pages. And perhaps we wonder if the Lord has changed his approach in more modern times. Does God still do mighty miracles in our world and in our lives?
Recognize first that the spectacular miracles the Holy Spirit shares with us in the Scriptures typically (but not always) affected only a few in the entire realm of believers. (In other words, isolated incidents.) Recognize secondly that there was often … even usually … a considerable amount of time between the accounts. (Though there may only be a few paragraphs or Bible pages separating them.)
God did fantastic things when fantastic things were called for to accomplish his purposes – whether on a personal or a larger scale. And that remains the Lord’s approach still today.
That is NOT to say that the miracles recorded were the only spectacular miracles God did in Bible times, OR that God only does miracles now and then in our times. The fact of the matter is that all of creation is an ongoing, self-perpetuating miracle. In addition, every living person is a miracle.
God’s miracle of creation occurs every time a new life is formed. Not to mention the miracles of the body – such as functioning organs and self-healing built into every person. We tend to take these blessings totally for granted, but we are experiencing incredible wonders in our bodies every second of every single day … even if we don’t recognize them or acknowledge them.
Furthermore, every Christian is actually also the embodiment of multiple miracles!
Conversion to faith in the Lord is a profound miracle. The spiritually dead are brought to life by God. (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Becoming a new person in Christ is yet another one. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).
Being endowed with the “fruit of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – can be added to the miracle list. (Galatians 5:22-23).
Then there is God’s gift of at least one special spiritual gift to every believer for the advancement of the God’s Kingdom. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).
And don’t forget the fact that the almighty Lord also hears and answers our prayers … all of them! (Matthew 7:7-8). Miraculous!
Though primarily spiritual, these are all profound miracles worked lovingly by God in his children. And the ramifications of each spill into the physical realm!
Then sometimes our God does something truly exceptional and unexpected. I’m confident every reader can point to at least one astounding miracle experienced in his or her life that could have only been brought by God. Undoubtedly you can probably recall multiple such miracles!
All of which demonstrates that our God is the same God of the Bible, and he still does incredible things for his people.
As the Apostle Paul assures us, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Which is why the Lord encourages us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
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Psalm 46:selected verses
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. … 7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 91:selected verses
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
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