I have mentioned this before, in fact, not long ago, but I want to discuss my “theories,” if you will, about Progressive Miracles. The reason I am bringing this up again is because some are still complaining that it is taking too long for their “miracle.” Now notice I did not mention your name, and I am not chastising you and making fun of you. I just wanted to remind you how in the Old Testament, we see many times when our Mighty Father “miracle-working power,” came instantly. This could have the opening of the Red Sea, or Yahweh talking directly to Moses from the burning bush, or Elijah calling down fire from heaven. Ooh-wee, those were cool times!
Now all of these demonstrations were instantaneous miracles. The people involved could see them happening, feel them and thrill to them, and I admit those are the kinds of miracles we want to see today—and they do still happen! We about those awesome stories and we want God to “rend the heavens,” send lightning bolts and everything, to come down and fix our situation in a burst of heavenly power. Ooh yeah!
But much to our dismay, most of our Father’s wonder-working power comes in what we can call “progressive miracles.” These are miracles that are hardly discernable to the eye. They are not accompanied by thunder, lightning or any visible movement or change. No fiery bushes and no magnificent displays. No, progressive miracles start quietly, without fanfare, and unfold slowly but surely, one step at a time. But here’s the thing . . . they demand our faith. Ouch!
Both kinds of miracles—instantaneous and progressive—were witnessed at Christ’s two feedings of the multitudes. The healings he performed were immediate, visible, easily discerned by those present on those days. I am picturing the crippled man with a gnarled body who suddenly had an outward, physical change so he could run and leap. That was instantaneous! This was a miracle that had to astonish and move everyone who saw it.
Yet the feedings that Christ did were progressive miracles. Jesus offered up a simple blessing, with no fire, thunder or earthquake. He merely broke the bread and the dried fish, thank His Father, and never gave a sign or sound that a miracle was about to take place. Yet, to feed that many people, the bread and fish had to have broken thousands of times, all through the day. Every single piece of bread and fish was a part of the miracle.
This is how Jesus performs many of his miracles in his people’s lives today. We pray for instantaneous, visible wonders, but often our Lord is quietly at work, forming a miracle for us piece by piece, bit by bit. We may not be able to hear it or touch it, but he is at work, shaping our deliverance beyond what we can see.
This is what demands our faith. Can we ask, and believe, period? Nothing more. If we ask our Father for anything, if we are wiling to make any request according to His will, and in agreement with His own plan, then he will hears us. If we positively know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know with settled and absolute knowledge, that He will grant whatever we ask of Him (see I John 5:13-15)
