Show Me Your Gloryਨਮੂਨਾ

When the Miracle Doesn’t Come

Truth be told, my struggle has never been doubting the supernatural. I know God performs miracles because of the tremendous evidence. I have personally seen miracles with my own eyes, and I have talked to countless witnesses who have also experienced miracles firsthand—including doctors and scientists. The struggle I have dealt with most is understanding why miracles rarely occur when we need them the most. For every one miracle I have seen, I have prayed for dozens of others that did not happen. As I am writing this, I have three dear friends who are suffering tremendously—one may never walk again, one is battling cancer and is stuck in a hospital fighting for her life, and another is constantly at the hospital trying to get a diagnosis to explain her symptoms. All three of these friends have loved ones that rely upon them. All three of them are loving people who have a lot of life ahead of them.

Amid suffering and seemingly unsuccessful prayers, we find ourselves asking, “Where was God? Where was God when I needed Him? Why wasn’t He there to answer my prayers? He might’ve answered other prayers. That’s not important to me right now. Why didn’t He help me when I needed it?” It is natural to ask these questions! In our darkest moments of suffering, our seemingly unanswered prayers become very personal. If God is all-powerful, why didn’t He save my child? Heal my dad? Save my marriage?

In 2 Corinthians 12:7c-9, Paul the Apostle describes such an instance in his own life. He states, “…A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’” The word “thorn,” in the original language (Greek: σκόλοψ skolops), is not some measly splinter that causes annoyance. Paul’s suffering was more comparable with the agony caused by the piercing of a long and jagged stake. We know this because of the context. Paul says, “I pleaded” (Greek παρεκάλεσα parakaleō) three times. He begged God for relief, and yet God said “No.” Paul had witnessed so many miracles, and he had even been God’s instrument in performing many of them; and yet, Paul did not get his miracle. Instead, God says to Paul, “My grace (Greek: χάριςis charis) is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). In other words, God assured Paul of two things: God’s spiritual provision was enough for Paul to survive his suffering. Secondly, God promised Paul that something profound and powerful was taking place through his suffering. Simply put, there was a purpose for his suffering.

If you knew that there was some sort of sustaining spiritual provision available to you in the midst of your suffering, what would that do for you in the midst of your darkest hour?

If you knew that there was a wonderful purpose for your suffering, what would that do for you in your darkest hour?

Watching my dad slowly die of cancer for three years was almost unbearable. Yet, on his deathbed, he looked at me and said, “Eric, cancer was the best thing that has ever happened to me because it helped me find God, reconciled me to one of my daughters and brought my kids closer to me.” His words blew my mind. I’ll never forget the value he placed on his own suffering.

Even if you don’t know the exact purpose for your suffering, are you still willing to trust God?

If not, what is holding you back from trusting God?