“But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Luke 4:25-27
Devotional Thought For The Day
There are times when we wish that the Lord would do something dramatic, marvelous, and miraculous in our lives. In reality, He is constantly watching over us, protecting us from all kinds of threats and healing us from all kinds of life-threatening conditions. His care and watchfulness over us is usually not overt, although there are times when He heals and there is no medical explanation. In these verses Jesus explains that dramatic and miraculous events are rare and unusual rather than the norm. Jesus didn’t heal and preserve every sick and injured person during His time here on earth, and nor did His apostles. The promises of God regarding our ultimate deliverance from sin, death, and hell within the kingdom of God pertain principally to our next life, and to the new heavens and earth that He will prepare at the end of this age. The miraculous signs done by the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles were indications of the truthfulness of their message – and compulsion for making sure that we believe them and keep their words and the message in regard to Christ correct.
It is not that God cannot heal us miraculously and marvelously, and it is certainly not that He doesn’t love us tenderly and dearly. His Word assures us over and over again of His awesome and almighty power, and also of His remarkable love for us, His attention to every detail in our lives [Luke 12:7]. He is with us always, guiding and attending to our way, always working all things together for our greatest blessedness [Matt. 28:20; Rom. 8:28]. There are times when this involves some pain and discomfort for us, given the consequences of mankind’s sin in this fallen world. Ultimately, we will pass through a temporary physical death on our way to His glorious heavenly kingdom, but He has promised that the sufferings of this present life are not worth considering in comparison to the glory that is to be revealed in us [Rom. 8:18]. So no matter what the circumstances we are facing and enduring we remain firm and resolute in our faith and trust in God’s goodness and love, and patiently await the great deliverance He has planned for us. We know these things to be true, for we know and believe what He has already done for us through the cross of Jesus and His resurrection.
Faith is a very difficult thing, impossible for us to attain to on our own, and impossible for us to retain without the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. His principle tool for strengthening our faith is the Word of God, Holy Scripture, and the precious Sacraments which Christ has given us – Baptism and His supper. It may seem odd to us that He should choose to work His redemption and renewal through such ordinary means – but virtually everything about God seems odd to our sinful nature and its corrupt thinking. Faith is the greatest miracle which God grants to us, and a most profound mystery, but also the evidence of the reality and power of His love for us. We are cautioned by Jesus that such faith does not come through miraculous signs, nor can a “sign” sustain us in this faith. Rather faith comes by hearing the Word of God, the Word of Holy Scripture, which lives and abides forever [Rom. 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:15,16; 1 Pet. 1:23]. The Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the power of God unto salvation, and the real miracle of healing and eternal life and blessedness [Rom. 1:16; John 3:36]. Thanks and praise be to God for including us in this incredible miracle of His love!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to see and understand the truly remarkable miracles that You are working in keeping us firm in faith and on our way to Your glorious heavenly kingdom. Grant us confidence and constancy in all circumstances, that we always have Your peace and joy and that we bear witness to all of Your marvelous love. Amen.