February 17 - Miracle of choice

Genesis 2:16-17 - “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat....”. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 - “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live....”.

It's an amazing miracle that when God created us He inbuilt freedom of choice (Adam and Eve soon misused that, and look where it has got each of us ever since!). But despite that, from the moment we are born, (picture shows a baby seconds after birth), we are still free to make our own choices, and miracles occur moment by moment, day by day.

Through personal experience, I believe in miracles. I also have a friend who, through the miracle of X-rays, was diagnosed to have need of a gall bladder operation, the stones were large and showed up clearly on the X-rays – that, and the excruciating pain she was suffering signaled the need for a speedy operation to remove the stones.

That was decided on a Friday, and the surgery was scheduled for the following Monday. There was just one problem. This friend was to be baptised on the intervening Sabbath, the day after diagnosis. Stepping out in faith, and in great pain, this friend insisted on leaving hospital to attend her baptism. She was baptised and returned to the hospital on the Sunday to await her operation the following day. On the day, Monday, prior to the op', further routine X-rays were taken. This is where the miracle comes in. Astounded surgeons couldn't believe what they were seeing – no gall stones, not a one! From the moment she rose from the batismal waters, the unbearable pain she had been in had disappeared, been washed away – and now the proof was evident before everyone's eyes, the gall stones had also gone. God had rewarded her choice to put her trust in Him.

I came across the following article this week tucked away in Hannah's Cupboard.

What's your favourite miracle in the Bible? There are some great ones, aren't there? Consider Daniel in the lion's den, the fall of the walls of Jericho, Jesus walking on the water, multiplying the loaves and fishes, raising Lazarus from the dead, Peter and John healing the cripple at the Gate Beautiful - the list goes on and on. You know, it isn't hard for God to do miracles. None of this stuff even begins to break a sweat on God's brow. To the One who spoke the worlds into being and set up all the laws of physics, chemistry, etcetera, etcetera, miracles are a minor detail.

Want to know what's hard? Changing a heart. God made a choice to give us free will and not violate it. That puts him in the position of limiting himself in our lives to what we will allow; what we will choose. So if we choose to thumb our nose at him or disbelieve that he even exists or harden our hearts against his love, he honors that.

He keeps on nudging us. He works in the unseen places of our soul to woo us to accept his love. He follows us down every blind and dead end path we take ready to show us the way that leads to life. He places people in our lives that help us feel his touch. He leaves no stone unturned in pursuing us. Without violating our free will, he makes his unconditional love irresistible.

The most remarkable miracles I know of are the testimonies of people who have had a deep change of heart. The son of Madelyn Murray O'Hair who helped take prayer out of the schools had a deep change of heart. Norma McCorvey, who brought Roe v. Wade to the Supreme Court to legalize abortion, had a deep change of heart. Charles Colson, the arrogant Nixon staffer who served prison time for his part in Watergate had a deep heart change. These are a tiny few of the famous ones but there are millions and millions of nameless others down through the centuries.

My very favorite miracle is my own changed heart. I treasure this miracle above all others. You may feel the same way about yours. If you haven't had your miracle yet, I can tell you that God is standing by ready to perform it as soon as you are ready. Just ask!

(Acknowledgments Barbara Lardinais)

Today's music is Bill and Gloria Gaither "Perfect Love" (LIVE) Click on the picture to listen.