Everyone wants a miracle BUT...

few want to be in a miracle- requiring situation. We like miraculous healing, provision, protection, wisdom, and strength. But how many of us are willing to allow God to place us in situations of that require such miraculous breakthrough.

We read the Bible with the end of the story in mind, but for those who lived it, they were desperate and in need of God's power. Put yourself in these situations, could you have handled them as these biblical heroes did?

• Moses and Israelites were cornered between the Red Sea and the charging Egyptian army BEFORE the Sea was parted (Exodus 14),
• Israelites were wandering in the desert, Elijah was enduring a famine, a widow was about to eat her last meal, and 5000 men were hungry BEFORE God supplied an abundance of food (Exodus 16; 1 Kings 17; Matthew 14)
• Daniel broke the law against prayer, was thrown into a den of lions BEFORE he saw God's protection (Daniel 6),
• Gideon has challenged by God to narrow his vastly outnumbered army down to 300 men against the Midianites that were as vast as locust over the valley BEFORE God used them to deliver Israel from their siege (Judges 6),
• Elisha and Gehazi were surrounded by a vast army of Arameans BEFORE God sent chariots of fire to destroy the opposing army (2 Kings 7),
• Early Jesus-followers endured persecution, beatings, martyrdome, running for their lives BEFORE the gospel spread throughout all the regions surrounding Jerusalem and Asia Minor (Acts 8:1-8).

Curious as to why you might be in a difficult situation, enduring hardship, suffering?

• For Israel in Judges 7:1-4, God "stacked the deck" against them so that they wouldn't take credit for the victory but so that God would get ALL the glory. Are we giving glory to God in our situations and with our victories?
• In 2 Kings 7:15-17, Elisha prayed that Gehazi's eyes would be opened to see spiritually that "those who were with us are more than those who are with them". Maybe God wants you to see with spiritual eyes rather than with eyes of doubt and fear?
• In Acts 8:1-8, the persecution and suffering was necessary to scatter the believers and spread the God News of the Gospel to the "ends of the Earth". How can we grow through hard times?

In each situation, obedience is required before the miracle comes. And always, God wants the Glory for His miraculous power.