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"A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given
to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.
MATTHEW 16:4
"Asking God for a miracle may indicate a lack of faith. Some feel that they
demonstrate great faith by continually asking God for miracles. They assume
that in every situation God wants to do the spectacular. They presume, for
example, that God wants to heal anyone who is sick or provide a miraculous escape
from every difficulty they face. Jesus condemned those who insisted that He
perform miracles, because He knew their hearts. He recognized that they could
not believe Him without constantly underwriting their faith with signs. Their
faith was not strong enough to survive without a regular supply of the
miraculous. Jesus condemned this lack of faith and left them.
There are times when we prefer the miracle over the miracle worker. God calls
this idolatry, and He discouraged it by refusing to provide miracles on demand (Jer.
2:11-13). Sometimes the greatest act of faith is not to ask for a
miracle. One of the most amazing statements of faith in the Old Testament came
from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they faced the fiery furnace because of
their obedience to God. They expressed true faith when they assured king
Nebuchadnezzar: 'Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be
known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold
image which you have set up' (Dan. 3:17-18). They were confident in God's
ability to deliver them, but they trusted Him so completely that they did not ask to
be spared.
Does your faith need miracles to sustain it? Or do you trust God so totally
that you can say, 'But if not, I will still trust the Lord!'?"
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