This year, I have spent a good deal of time studying and thinking about the miracles that took place in the Bible and those whom G-D used to bring forth those miracles. Like most people, this year has seemed much more difficult than my previous years.
We have faced a global pandemic, political upheaval, riots and protests in our streets, and economic calamity and uncertainty. At times like these, when we look around and see that the situation surrounding us is beyond our control or ability to fix, most people of faith like myself look for answers in G-D’s Word.
So, while some of my friends were prophesying about how G-D was going to protect and preserve us during these difficult days, other friends were prophesying about political victories or political calamity concerning one candidate or the other. I did my best to focus my attention on reading the Bible and telling those who would listen that G-D was still in control. I tried to constantly remind people that the answer for every situation is written in the Bible if we would just listen to His still small voice written in those pages instead of listening to the voices shouting on the internet.
As I studied these miracles, I came to two undeniable conclusions.
The first is that G-D used people to bring forth every redemptive miracle we read about in the Bible. This means that it was G-D’s perfect will to combine His perfection with our imperfection, powered by our faith, to bring about supernatural solutions to our difficult situations.
The Bible is filled with heroes of faith and, without exception, every one of them were failed human beings. In simpler terms, every biblical hero was also a sinner, just like you and me.
The second is that these redemptive miracles all took place at the end of a difficult time or experience. In other words, if there were no difficulties, there would also have been no miracles.
Daniel would not have survived the lions if he was never cast into the den. The three Hebrews would not have been walking around in the fire if they had not been cast into the furnace. Moses would not have held his rod before the Red Sea if Israel had not spent 400 years in slavery. David would not have slain Goliath with a slingshot if the Philistines had not for many years tormented the Israelites. Paul would have never shared the message of Messiah with kings and Caesars if he wasn’t arrested and imprisoned.
Let’s not forget the greatest miracle of all: Yeshua would not have provided our miraculous redemption through resurrection power if it wasn’t for the crucifixion.
This brings me to one more conclusion and the reason I am writing this today. Most of the prophetic words being shared by men this year have been about providing means of escape for the trials and tribulations of 2020. These words encouraged us as believers that if we will just have strong enough faith, then COVID-19 will go away; the riots, protests and destruction will end; the right candidate will win the election; the economy will be restored and so on.
While I, in my flesh, wish the above was true and biblically consistent, from what I see, the great heroes of faith we read about in the Bible were strongest in their faith inside the times of difficulty, not as a means of escaping their tribulation. In other words, they were faithful when tribulation began and, because they continued to walk out their faith inside their crisis, their crisis ended with a miracle.
But, not one of them avoided their crisis, and honestly, I don’t think we will either. Our victory isn’t about overcoming sickness, political upheaval or even religious persecution. As Yeshua (Jesus) said in John 16:33 (TLV):
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have shalom. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!”
Let me end with this thought. Every one of us is in the middle of the preparation to experience a great miracle. This miracle is not about a virus, a political candidate, a social revolution or financial breakthrough, but I promise you that when it happens, it will be out of this world.
Eric Tokajer is the author of Overcoming Fearlessness, What If Everything You Were Taught About the Ten Commandments Was Wrong?, With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, #ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer, Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians and Galatians in Context.
