True Picture

Rom.15:¹⁹ “They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ…” (emphasis added).

God is healing strange illnesses; will you receive it? God has not called us to serve Him in vain. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. When we come to worship our God and we follow the person of Jesus, God rewards us. The Word of God says, when you draw near to God, He draws near to you. When God takes a step and man takes a step, whose strides are bigger? The Christianity that tries to convince us to be satisfied without the miraculous, is not acceptable. We must not accept the version of Christianity that says just be content with going to heaven, you can suffer on earth. Is there suffering? Of course, but you will triumph. The version of Christianity that says Jesus can save your soul, but Jesus cannot get you out of poverty is a lie. Which is easier, to save a soul or to get someone out of poverty?

Matt Bird puts it this way, “Only middle-class Christianity can afford for the gospel to be about spiritual salvation alone.”; and he is absolutely correct! In Nigeria, you need to pray in tongues just to get on a bus. The crowd at the bus stop alone will compel you to pray. I remember back in the day; on my way to school, I get to the bus stop and it is crowded. People are chasing buses and jumping on them. It was a battle. I would stand slightly away from the bus stop and decree that the bus would stop in front of me. And God so merciful, it happens just as I have decreed. The people from the western world cannot relate to why anyone would have to pray for a bus.

In Rom.15:19, Paul says the presentation of the gospel of Christ that is not backed up with the miraculous power of signs and wonders is not complete. Is this in your Bible? There are things that only you can do and must do. Yet there are things that only God can do. A lot of people do not do the things they are supposed to do. Instead, they are waiting on God for a miracle. This is usually the problem of developing nations. It does not work like that. Do your part!

God promises to bless the works of your hands, but you must work. Get out of bed and get a job. There are things that you must do, so do not get it twisted. However, as legitimate as that is, as non-negotiable as that is, there are still things that you cannot do. As advanced as medical science is, there are certain illnesses that even the doctors will advise you to pray to whatever you believe in. At such times, you know that you need God and our God is the God of all creation.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me identify the things that I must do, even while I am waiting on God for a miracle, in Jesus Name. Amen!