Author: marquitabp

Are You Qualified for a Miracle?

 

She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”  Matthew 15:27 ESV

 

For a long time, I wondered what it was that determines if a person receives what they are praying for.  I thought if I prayed enough, God would give me what I was asking for.  In some cases, it was my prayers that got the return on my investment.  I thought if I sowed enough seeds and paid my tithes regularly that God would give me what I was asking for.  In many cases, I didn't get those things.  I thought if I went to church all the time, God would surely answer my prayers and give me what I wanted…nope that wasn't it either.

 

In the scripture above and the scripture that follows, the one key to receiving her miracle was the woman's faith.  It wasn't her nationality, because for her it was the wrong one–she wasn't a Jew.  It wasn't how much she prayed, because even after doing that, she still pleaded with Jesus to deliver her daughter.  It wasn't begging, church attendance, tithing, nope, it was her faith that caused her miracle to come at that instant.  I now look back at the miracles I have received in my life and I recognize it was my inability to accept that God would not bring forth the thing I was asking for that caused me to get it.  In every single situation that I had a miracle or act of God in a major way, it was because I refused to back down and I stood in faith on the word of God.  It gets hard as I have experienced in some recent situations, to keep standing when what you see does not change.  It gets hard to believe God for that relocation and new job (smile–me, lol) when every interviewer tells you that you are not exactly what they are looking for or that you make too much money.  It gets hard to believe God for that healing when your doctors add new medicines or you get an unexpected diagnosis.  It is hard to believe sometimes, but that's when you pray, you sow, you give, and you fast, as professions of your faith. 

 

But I want you to know that you have to press through anyway.  You are qualified for your miracle simply because you believe in the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You are qualified regardless of family history, regardless of what some pessimistic hater says, regardless of your own past performance.  God qualified us, just like the Canaanite woman, to receive a miracle without cause.  The only investment you need is your faith.  Keep believing, keep stretching and exercising your faith because God is sure to perform on your behalf.  The only thing you need watch out for is God's answer to your prayer; God promises to provide a miracle whether you are healed right now, healed later, or healed when He calls you home.

"Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once."  Matthew 15:28

Use What He Gave You

 

With every bone in my body I will praise him: "LORD, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?"  Psalm 35:10 NLT

 

I am not the best singer, but I can sing and thoroughly enjoy doing it.  I am not the best dancer, but I love to dance.  I am not the greatest writer, but it brings my heart great joy to write devotions, even though I do not write them as often as I should.  I am not an orator, but I will tell practically anyone about the goodness of God and the miracles I have experienced in my life.  I have realized that with every gift and talent God has blessed me with that I can use that talent to bring Him glory and honor.  I can sing on the choir and strengthen my voice, I can dance for the Lord, and I can write my blog postings, and I can share my testimony with anyone in need of encouragement.

 

Often times we let tradition and religion overshadow the gifts we have, and that they are to be used for God, returning to Him the honor in the gift of giving them to us.  You do not have to be Aretha Franklin if you have a song in your heart for God.  You don't have to be Michael Jackson or James Brown to dance for God.  You don't have be a best-selling author to write a few words of encouragement to a friend or family member.  You don't have to a political candidate (although very seldom do you see any of them using their voice for God…just my thoughts, lol) to speak on behalf of God to others.  You can use whatever gifts and talents you have for the good of the Lord. 

I think of the J. Moss song 'We Must Praise' when I think about this.  God does not call us to be perfect…nor should we feel constrained by some unfounded principle.  Use whatever it is He gave you, and bring Him glory with it!  You never know whose life you are supposed to touch.  Just act in faith, step out on the promises of the Word and trust that God will equip you with whatever tools you may need to be successful at what it is He is leading you to do.

 

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the Lord.