Fear Not! A Guide to Living a Fearless Lifeਨਮੂਨਾ

Do You Believe in Miracles?

“See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. This very day, I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you" (Deuteronomy 2:24-25, NIV).

“Do you believe in miracles?” Those words were spoken by Al Michaels at the conclusion of the Olympic hockey game USA vs. Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Back in 1980, professional athletes from the US were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. The US hockey team was comprised of amateur athletes going against a Soviet Union team that were twice their age. Since 1960, the Soviet team had gone 27-1-1 against the US teams. From a sports perspective, this was a David versus Goliath matchup. Just thirteen days prior to their Olympic match, this same American team had been slaughtered by the Soviets 10-3 in an exhibition game. However, on this special night, the young USA squad humbled the mighty Soviet team 4-3 in what is now termed the Miracle on Ice.

I doubt God had anything to do with the USA team victory against the Soviet hockey team, but God did intervene in every matchup of the Israelites versus whoever as they took the Promised Land. In all those battles, the Israelites would have been just as big an underdog as Team USA. The entire older generation of the Israelite army died off, and all that was left was this younger generation of men, and they were anything but a military powerhouse.

You could say that God was the great equalizer in these future battles, but that would not be accurate. No one is equal to God, and with Him on your side, you have nothing to fear. “When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army…We left no survivors” (Deuteronomy 2:32-34, NIV).

Do you believe in miracles? Are you in need of a miracle? Why not turn to the One who invented them? What happens when you call upon the Lord? “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation" (Psalm 91:15-16, NIV).

Prayer: Lord, I believe in miracles. Forgive me when I have not given You credit for all You have done in my life, and especially when I have taken the credit myself or directed it elsewhere. Make me more aware of Your presence in my life. Yes, I believe in miracles, but even more importantly, I believe in the One who created miracles. In Jesus name, amen.