Missing God in pursuit of miracles …

Have you ever noticed how many people pursue spiritual highs?

One way of identifying the “spiritual high” chaser are those who are constantly searching for God’s next “big” miracle. Life as a follower of Jesus is flat — even empty — for them if God isn’t conducting some kind of remarkable demonstration of His power.

Never mind the fact that their being alive yet another day is a miracle in itself, they look for something that will overwhelm their senses and give them an adrenalin rush of faith. Never mind the fact that there are endless miracles both “big” and “little” happening constantly just to keep this world going, the miracle chaser seeks an uninterrupted string of astounding experiences with God.

Yet, what the miracle chaser doesn’t understand is to constantly be searching for the next big miracle more often means we ignore God in a vain human effort to feel Him.

But God is not in the miracle business. Miracles are a “natural” expression of interacting with a God who transcends natural laws and functions. When we walk with God, sometimes His expressions of love and care for us overflows the boundaries we are contained in as humans, and we call those expressions miracles.

God hasn’t set out to impress us with miracles, or to earn our praise with works of wonder. He isn’t exalted by planting the likeness of Jesus on a tortilla, or selecting you as the next lottery winner. Instead, He wants us to walk humbly with Him and enjoy Him; He wants us to be in awe of who He is, not simply from what He does. God will more often provide for us by blessing us with health enough to work for an employer who will pay us. God will often heal us with the help of a skilled physician. God will often calm us with conversation over coffee with a friend. God will often mature us through the challenges of a seasoned saint who disciples us. God will often mend us through the help of a godly counselor.

It doesn’t take magnificent miracles for God to demonstrate His love and care for us; He does that every single day, often in simple ways and through common experiences and ordinary people. That doesn’t detract from the depth of His love and care for us.

We get the fullest experience of walking with God when we stop seeking the next “high” from Him, and learn to delight in Him even in the simple, ordinary, commonplace moments of life.

Scotty