Across the Pastor’s Desk

By the Rev. Sandra Tonsing, Member of First Baptist Church, Albert Lea

Hello believers and nonbelievers: My question for you today is, “Do you believe in miracles?” Large or small, miracles happen every day. How do they happen? They happen when we go to God in prayer, seeking his help for ourselves or someone else. His intervention in our lives is in response to prayer. Or for a nonbeliever it can come from God to make his presence known in his or her life.

God’s response to our needs is undeniable, our lack or insufficient belief in his response, shades our ability to recognize his intervention. When we ask for something, it may not come in the manner we expect but it does come.

You have heard of God’s chosen people, believers are also His chosen people, grafted to the vine which is Jesus, and adopted by God. We are heirs to the throne of Jesus if we choose to be.

I stand, recline, lay prostrate, and on my knees in absolute awe of our amazing sovereign God, believing in His majesty. I pray for that for each of you.

I am presently privileged to be in a Bible study for women. The author of the study points out that there are extremes we need to avoid. One extreme is believing God does not perform miracles in today’s time. The other extreme are those who want to live on the high that comes from the intervention of the Holy Spirit. God does perform miracles today and He doesn’t want us to be addicted to the highs more than wanting a deep relationship with Him. It is not supposed to be about us, it is supposed to be about God.

We have been promised power from the Holy Spirit. But, it comes only when God chooses for us to use that power in a specific way. It is not designed for us to use for our own benefit only but to bring glory to God, and to celebrate His victorious intervention into our lives for others.

I consider receiving that power at the time God chooses in order to be used by him, a miracle in itself. With our human frailties and tendencies to be selfish, what a glorious high we can receive when we focus on doing God’s will, not our own. It comes without warning, we are involved, being used by God as an instrument of His, before awareness comes that He is using us. It is not a premeditated thing on our part but a spontaneous, gloriously exhilarating touch from the Holy Spirit, directing us. A prayer: “Take me, fill me, use me, Holy Father.”

Believe in His miracles, believe in His marvels, believe in His love, mercy and grace on our behalf. As Robert Schuler titled one of his books, “Believe in the God that believes in you.”

Jesus loves you and so do I.