Miracles we Need are not always the ones We Want

God wants us to trust Him for the miracles we need…not the miracles we think we want.

Read NLT

Kind of like this story of

A man that was driving down the highway late one night when his minivan broke down. He turned on his flashers and tried to get someone’s attention to help him. Eventually a man in a Lamborghini pulls up.

“Any chance I could get a lift into town?” said the minivan driver.

“I can do better than that,” the man driving the Lamborghini replied. “I’ve got a V-12 under this hood, I can tow you to the nearest town, no problem. Just honk your horn and flash your lights if I start going too fast.”

They head off down the road and eventually come to a stop light and up pulls a Ferrari F40 with a V-10. The F40 began to rev its engine to get the Lamborghini to race. The Lamborghini revs its engine and the light turns green. They fly out of there, and about a half a mile down the road they pass a speed trap.

The officer there watches them pass and radios to base saying, “Base, you will not believe what I just saw. A Ferrari and a Lamborghini were driving down the road doing about 120 with a minivan honking its horn and flashing its lights trying to pass them!”

Many times my assumptions about what God is doing or not doing keeps me from seeing that God is doing a work in my life.

Have you every done that? Get hands up....I have...

Instead of giving thanks we unintentionally may be giving negativity and despair the power to keep us from seeing God’s power and healing at work in our lives.

Our conversations are always on the way things used to be.

We have more to be depressed about than thankful about

We are laser focused on what we do not have instead of what we do have.

This leads us to a woe is me instead of a Great is He. “GREAT HYMN GREAT ARE YOU LORD”

God wants us to know that He is with us even in the midst of trials, troubles and bad decisions.

He created you and I to trust that He is working in us even if it is not in a way we imagined it to be.

Can God do a miracle in an instant? Yes…but most of the time God works miracles in such a way we may not perceive it in the moment.

LUKE 17:11-19 NLT

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

The men with leprosy were doing what they needed to to survive. They could not work, they were not allowed to live in the cities, shop in the market or even worship God in the temple.

They were completely isolated from the rest of the world and their only way of surviving was to depend on the mercy of others.

It is easy to think that the lepers were expecting healing in this passage because we know how it ends. However this was most likely the last thing on their minds.

They were asking for mercy in the form of food, clothes money etc...

So when Jesus said to them v14 ....“Go show yourselves to the priests.” They were most likely walking away disappointed, angry and hyper critical of the answer that Jesus had given them.

14 ....“Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

They needed food, they needed clothes, for crying out loud it would have even been nice if Jesus had even treated them as a human being by just talking to them.

But Jesus does not do any of this. Jesus does not even tell them that He is going to heal them. He doesn’t touch them He doesn’t tell them to do anything crazy or out of the ordinary.

He tells them to go on their way and show themselves to the priest.

In the mind of the lepers Jesus had turned them away so there was no reason to think that Jesus cared about them at all.

Yet as they were walking something incredible happened. ...And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

As they were going about the rest of their journey talking about how bad Jesus was to each other and focusing on their dire situations they were being healed...but 9 out of the 10 did not even perceive the healing.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” OR THIS SAMARITAN

16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Jesus did indeed heal all 10…there is no mention of the healing being taken away because of lack of thanks etc…They asked for mercy and Jesus gave them mercy in the form of healing. Jesus is always in tune with the true needs of all people.One came back but all 10 we’re healed.

17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

God is always at work in our time of Greatest Need even if we are not aware of it.

In 2 kings Chapter 5 This same scene plays out with a Military Commander from Aram…His King sent a letter to the King of Isreal telling him to heal Naaman of his lepresy...

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

Sound Familiar????

11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’ ” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

Elisha did not even speak to Naaman directly…talk about insulting…angry Naama almost sabotaged his healing…if Elisha had asked him to do something ridiculous he would have done it. But sense he was instructed to simply bath in the river he automatically assumed it was stupid.

11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

How many times do we sabotage our lives because we fail to live in faith while doing ordinary life?

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’ ” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!

New Living Translation Chapter 5

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’ ” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!

Jesus is telling us to trust Him for the miracle even if we do not have and lightning bolt experience.

4 God is always at work in our time of Greatest Need even if we are not aware of itILLUSTRATION5 Live in Faith that God knows what best for us and is already at work making the changes that will lead us to His best life for usWHEN WE ADOPT THIS EXTREME ATTITUDE OF FAITH WE CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PRAISE OVER A LIFE OF WOE IS ME

WHEN WE ADOPT THIS EXTREME ATTITUDE OF FAITH WE CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PRAISE OVER A LIFE OF WOE IS ME

4 God is always at work in our time of Greatest Need even if we are not aware of itILLUSTRATION5 Live in Faith that God knows what best for us and is already at work making the changes that will lead us to His best life for usWHEN WE ADOPT THIS EXTREME ATTITUDE OF FAITH WE CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PRAISE OVER A LIFE OF WOE IS ME

WHEN WE ADOPT THIS EXTREME ATTITUDE OF FAITH WE CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PRAISE OVER A LIFE OF WOE IS ME

Jesus is telling us to trust Him for the miracle even if we do not have and lightning bolt experience.

If we have the faith of a mustard seed we can and should see God manifest what is best for out lives not what we expect in our lives.

When we live this type of faith we are able to replace cynicism with joy, bondage with freedom and pain for healing.

Jesus is telling us to trust Him for the miracle even if we do not have and lightning bolt experience. If we have the faith of a mustard seed we can and should see God manifest what is best for out lives not what we expect in our lives.

This is what you and are free to do…We are free to accept and celebrate healing as we walk on our Journey called life.

Jesus knew that his broken body and shed blood provided the means in which we could be free.

Even though the people wanted a political and military leader to affect freedom…God knew what we really needed…He provided what we needed so we could all have what we desire.

Communion reminds us of this…Jesus broken body and shed blood was not what was expected…but it provides us what we desire.

Communion and Altar

When we live this way we find ways to give praise not embrace despair

When we live this way people are drawn to us and not repelled from us

When we live this way there is power in life not fear of death.

This is the life you were meant to live. Not a carefree easy life, but a life full of promise and praise because Jesus.

This is just what He did when Jesus came to allow Himself to sacrifice His life for our sins. Jesus knew that his broken body and shed blood provided the means in which we could be free. Even though the people wanted a political and military leader to affect freedom…God knew what we really needed…He provided what we needed so we could all have what we desire.

Communion reminds us of this…Jesus broken body and shed blood was not what was expected…but it provides us what we desire.

Communion and Altar

reserved.

Miracles we Need are not always the ones We Want

Trust the Process

If I am completely honest I am one of those people that not only want to get big results in a short period of time but I really like to see those results come about the way I planned them to come about.

BECAUSE I AM THIS WAY IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO MISINTERPRET WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN SPECIFIC SITUATIONS.

How many times have you made an assumption about what God was or was not doing based on your limited knowlege of God?

When we do this we often Miss out on not only the Joy of God answering prayer but we miss an opprotunity to bring glory to God

3 God wants to do what we ask of Him to but often Chooses to do it God's Way

God wants to do what we ask of Him to but often Chooses to do it God's Way

God is always at work in our time of Greatest Need even if we are not aware of it

Jesus is telling us to trust Him for the miracle even if we do not have and lightning bolt experience.