God’s Purposes for Miracles

God’s Purposes for Miracles – Does our Miracle Meet God’s Purpose

Setting the stage for miraculous intervention by the hand of God in our lives, is more easily accomplished when we review how He has dealt with others. To be sure, God is well able to work in any way He chooses, but our faith can be exponentially increased if we study His purposes for supernatural intervention through the use of the miracles.

Examine the following scriptures. Seek understanding and insight from God Himself by asking: “Why?” God is not offended by our questions if we are truly seeking a deeper relationship with Him. The bold text provided is my limited yet expanding understanding and answer to the “Why” of God’s actions – Not that any explanation offered this side of eternity will be complete or perfectly accurate. It’s only my best attempt in this moment.

God has given us great and precious promises. He expects us to grow in our knowledge of Him. By faith I want to be a mountain mover – Do you?

Does our Miracle Meet God’s Purpose? That is the question we will explore today.

Exodus 6:6-8 God’s deliverance of His people promised

Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the Lord.’” (NASB)

Exodus 8:9 & 10 God’s sovereignty established

Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God. (NIV)

Exodus 16:12 God’s presence revealed

“I have heard the Israelites’ complaints. Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” (NLT)

Joshua 3:10 God’s strength demonstrated

And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. (JKV)

1Kings 18:37 God’s commitment re-established

Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again. (NASB)

Isaiah 45:3 God’s blessing & provision promised

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. (KJV)

Joel 2:26 & 27 God’s blessing & provision – Not a one-time deal

And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame. And you shall know, understand, and realize that I am in the midst of Israel and that I the Lord am your God and there is none else. My people shall never be put to shame. (AMP)

Zechariah 4:9 God strengthens His messengers

The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. (NLT)

John 14:12-15 Jesus’ promise “Whatever we ask”

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments.

James 4:3 The condition of Jesus’ promise “For the RIGHTEOUS reason”

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (KJV)

God’s purposes for miracles fall into seven categories. The way I understand them, Miracles … 1. Reveal, 2. Confirm, 3. Answer, 4. Renew, 5. Demonstrate, 6. Affirm, and 7. Strengthen.

Miracles Reveal God’s power. We know that God is ALL POWERFUL. He is EVERYWHERE PRESENT, and He is ALL KNOWING. Yet as humans, our limited memory from time to time must be prompted to recall Who God is and what He is able to accomplish form NOTHING. The miracle of creation, the vastness of Space and the beauty of nature each reveal the awesomeness of God’s power.

Miracles confirm God’s purpose in our lives. Each of us has a calling and a gifting that God has given for His purpose. He uses miracles in our lives to move us to respond to His plan.

Miracles answer complaints. Let’s face it we can all be childish. God sometimes addresses our childishness with a miracle. God uses miracles to show us just how much He loves us.

Miracles renew our faith. The road of life is full of twists, turns, pitfalls, and stony places. As we walk the road our faith occasionally wanes. Experiencing a miracle breathes anew the “Breath of Life” into our lives and rekindles the fire of faith within us.

Miracles demonstrate God’s care for us. Making a way through the mighty waters, seeing that the flour barrel or the vessel of oil never ran out, sending a disciple to catch a fish and remove a coin to pay a tax ALL are miracles that show God’s care for us. Those are biblical examples, but God’s care for us can be expressed through countless examples from our daily lives. Think about it. You have examples. I know I have several.

Miracles affirm God’s authority. None but God can meet a need through the use of miracles. If it can be explained it’s not miraculous.

Miracles strengthen us to … believe God’s Word, build God’s Kingdom, and bless others.

Does the miracle you and I need meet God’s purpose?

Is it for His glory or ours?

Believe!

Build!

Bless!