“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8 NIV)
Traveling on a busy street, 38th Street, a major thoroughfare that goes from the west side of the city to the east side, I experienced several miracles. Let me refer to this main road as if I live in a larger city such as Los Angeles. I’ll just call it “The 38.” I know you are saying, “Forget all that stuff! Tell me about the miracles…on “The 38!”
A miracle can be defined as God’s intervention in the normal course of events. We experience them every day. “We” includes you! When we think of the great miracles recorded in the Bible, we think of times such as when the Lord opened the Red Sea allowing His chosen people to cross on dry land, the healing of the sick, the raising of the dead, the holding back of the night so God’s people could fight on and gain a victory over their enemy, the feeding of the multitudes, and many more. In our mind we describe such miracles as times where God used an ultimate amount of power to bring about a positive outcome. Here me out now. I’ve said what I’m about to tell you for years. When God performed the “major miracles” that we read of in the Scriptures, the power that He used is the same amount of power that He used to see you safely across a busy street or to walk from the space where you parked your car to the entry way of the grocery store or to stay upright as you walked on an unexpected slippery surface. God’s power usage was the same, but unfortunately we don’t see our miracles. And when we don’t see our miracles, we fail to give God thanks for intervening in our lives.
The “Miracles on 38th Street” that happened to me yesterday could be one of many. Take your pick. Here are just some! I have the green light. I take my foot off the brake and push the accelerator. A car suddenly is coming towards me on the cross street. Disaster or death appears to be the normal course of events. I’m bracing my body for a crash. The driver of the other car swerves at the last minute and makes a fast turn avoiding a crash with me and other cars. That was one miracle on “The 38.” I continue my journey, thanking the Lord as I drive on. Oh, I admit that my expressions of gratitude were preceded by a pre-road rage disposition and the obligatory shaking of my head and thinking things I ought not to have been thinking, but I quickly turned my attention to being grateful for my miracle. Still, on the same day, on “The 38” I come to another intersection. I’m in the turning lane. There are two lanes where the traffic is to proceed in a straight direction. The green turn arrow comes on and I began my turn. A car from the middle lane, not a turning lane, turns speedily in front of me. No crash! No injury! No, just another miracle on “The 38” had taken place! Thank God! I’m off “The 38,” just blocks from home, but I remember that I was to pick up something at a restaurant located – yes you guessed it, on “The 38.” I turn around on a side street and head back to pick up some carry-out food. As I get ready to turn back on to “The 38th I hear sirens seemingly coming from all directions. I have the green light to turn, but I stop to allow the emergency vehicles to proceed. The driver behind me just used one of his senses, his sight. He saw the green light, but obviously did not hear the sirens over the booming beat blaring from his blasting music. He is about ready to plow into me, but he looks up just in time to come to a screeching halt as his car’s tires hit the curb. Another miracle on “The 38” had just taken place. God was looking out for me yesterday and His power was equal to the power that caused the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down. He was watching over me. Thank God for the multiple times that He intervened in the normal course of events on “The 38!” Thank Him for all the miracles I did not recognize for miracles. And, thank Him for looking out for you too! Thank Him for His divine workings in your life, perhaps even today already! Are you thanking Him? Great! He deserves it! And if you are looking for a miracle, know that you have experienced many already and thank the Lord! Let your praise be continuously in your mouth! Be blessed!
“He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.” (Deuteronomy 20:21 NLT)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King