Tonight, we witnessed yet again a miracle for our family. Our second daughter Rachel was minding baby Grace in the bedroom while the rest of us were pre-occupied with our own things. I was at that time thinking about what to share for a devotional session this Thu at my workplace, while Veron was preparing the bath water for Grace. Suddenly, Rachel came out to tell me what happened moments ago.
While Grace, who is 10 months old and is able to crawl rather fast by now, was left on the bed, Rachel turned to switch on the fan. When she turned around, she saw Grace on the floor. Grace had fallen off the bed, which was half a metre high, onto the tiled floor! However, she was unhurt and she did not even cry or seem flustered. She had landed on her hands and knees, instead of the head. Praise the LORD!
Veron said, "Angels must have carried her."
I should know.
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circa 2000.
I was in the bedroom minding my eldest girl, Deborah, who was born barely months ago. She was on our bed, which was about half a metre high, while I kept watch over her by the side. Moments later, the unthinkable happened - I dozed off!
I was a busy young executive then, working long hours, and often overnight. This was a Saturday morning, a time with the family, which I looked forward to each week. But I was also an overworked person, and by weekend, I was a spent cell.
And so it happened. I dozed off while minding my daughter on the bed on a Saturday morning. After what seemed like eternity, I awoke to the sound of a baby's cries. It took me a while to even figure out what was happening. When I saw Deborah on the floor, and realized that I wasn't dreaming, I was horrified! She had apparently rolled off the bed and landed on her back, and I presumed she hit the back of her head on the floor, which was thankfully covered with parquet rather than tiles. I held her up and prayed for her. I was hit by pangs of a guilty conscience. She was just a tiny baby, and only learning how to turn. How could I, the father, be so careless and unreliable? Can't I even summon enough energy to keep watch over a helpless tot?
But praise GOD, Deborah was just fine! She had no bump on her head, and did not vomit or appear unwell. In fact, she stopped crying after a while, and was back to her usual self. I was crying for joy! Despite the fact that Deborah was well within my reach, I wasn't able to prevent the fall, but GOD, who is ever so faithful, intervened in the nick of time and let us experience this miracle.
"The angels must have carried her," I told Veron, and I whispered another prayer of thanks.
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Miracles, signs and wonders, are for an unbelieving generation.
Pharoah and the Egyptians were shown signs and wonders more powerful than what they could conjure up before they released Moses and the Israelites to worship GOD. The Israelites witnessed the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness, GOD's provision of drinking water, manna and quails in unlikely places, among many signs and wonders. Jesus healed the man with the shriveled hand, caused the blind to see, healed the 10 lepers, raised Lazarus from the dead, calmed the storm, walked on water, cast out demons, fed more than 10,000 people on 2 occasions with bread and fish, and performed many other miracles.
Signs and wonders point us to The Almighty GOD. In the process, some believed but not all. Many experienced the miracles recorded in the Bible, many ate the manna, loaves and fish, but few believed upon the LORD or kept the faith.
The Bible says in Deuteronomy 6:20-25:
And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.
Miracles are for us to remember, and to strengthen our faith in GOD. Writing down and recalling miracles help us remember the LORD's faithfulness.
The Israelites were instructed to take GOD's commandments seriously, to "lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:" - Deuteronomy 11:18-20
Why shouldn't we do likewise? Because "your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did." - Deuteronomy 11:7
Don't let GOD's miracles go to waste. Remind yourselves of His faithfulness. Share the miracles He has done for you with others to build up their faith. Tell of the greatest miracle - the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and GOD's gift of salvation in Him, to those who have yet to believe upon the LORD Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Thomas
