When the miracle doesn’t come.

We just did a little deep dive on how to partner with God for your miracle. And we heard a testimony of one of those miracles. Now are there times where we did operate in faith and our miracle didn’t come? Let’s take a look together. I prayed for years in full faith that my uncle who was paralyzed would be healed and walk, and yet he never did this side of heaven. I prayed my husband would be raised from the dead in full faith God could do it. And he was not raised from the dead that day. But when the miracle doesn’t come, I’m learning to see that it just hasn’t come yet.

This side of heaven, I likely will never know all the whys behind both my husband’s death AND why he wasn’t raised from the dead. I have theories, but I don’t dwell on them. There’s so much more to the spiritual realm than we can understand, and I’m in a place where I’m ok with that. Woe to the person who thinks he has it figured out. And woe to those of little faith.

The only time Jesus couldn’t do miracles was when there was an atmosphere of disbelief. I think that’s why sometimes he would go and send everyone out and shut the door. That’s a word for somebody… If you’re waiting on a miracle, you might need to shut the door on nay-sayers and discouragers in your life. Send them out the door, and [hold on to your promises from God] in faith.

“But Jesus said, ‘Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives and their own family.’ Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. He was surprised that the people did not have any faith.”

Mark 6:4-6

In that passage, the Bible says Jesus, God-With-Us, who has power to raise the dead and give sight to the blind and heal the broken-hearted, “could not work any miracles there.” Why? Because of the lack of faith of the people. Miracles require the power of God AND the faith of the people partnering together. That’s why Jesus had such compassion on the desperate man who asked for a miracle and was so honest, “Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.”

In this passage, we also see that Emmanuel, Jesus, God-In-The-Flesh, was only surprised by one thing… People’s lack of faith.

You see, the power of Holy Spirit to do miracles has to partner with an environment of faith.

And yet, it does nobody any good to cast blame or try to find a reason as to why I got some of my miracles and not others.

But after lamenting the sudden loss of my late husband and seeking healing for a broken heart, I do have peace now. And sometimes, especially after all we’ve been through, that’s a miracle all of its own.
Having great peace even in trauma and sorrow is it’s own kind of miracle.

And you know what? Faith has a funny way of holding on to us when we partner with it. Because you know what God’s Word promises? That in the end times, women will get back their dead. So you’re telling me there’s a chance! (Forgive the Dumb and Dumber quote there but it’s just the right words to say.)

I know that there will be those who died who are resurrected in those days. I don’t know who will be raised from the dead or if Dan will be one of them, and I have peace with that. But it tells me that every time I pray for someone’s resurrection, my prayers are heard. And even if they weren’t raised from the dead after three days, or fifteen, I know with full assurance my prayers are heard. I trust God to answer them as best He sees fit. And whoever God raises from the dead in the end times… it’s not going to be so things could go back the way they once were. No way. It’ll be so that many come to faith all over again and see signs and wonders and miracles, and we pray that brings even more who are lost into the redeeming adoption as children God.

You know what else? Just before my uncle passed away, the one who was paralyzed and I’d been praying he would be able to stand up and walk my whole life… he had a dream. And in the dream he was walking! He was riding a horse! And I can’t tell you the kind of comfort that gives a family whose suffered so much.

Sometimes our miracles come to pass on the other side of the veil between heaven and earth. I know those situations are hard to work out in our hearts. But if we can get to a place of trusting God, the peace that cannot be explained will surround us and comfort us. My Uncle Tom is walking and he is riding a horse and he is smiling that big smile and he’s young and tan and happy again. God showed him a dream of what’s to come just before he died, but I think that dream was mostly for us left behind. To assure us that Tom would walk again, and when he did, he’d be walking with Jesus in heaven.

So when the miracle doesn’t come, we must remember that it’s possible that the miracle just hasn’t come yet or that it hasn’t come on this side of heaven. Truly, God can be trusted with every longing and prayer of our hearts. And truly, the peace we receive from God even when we don’t get our miracle is a miracle of its own kind. I want to encourage you, if you’re suffering from a broken heart, grief, or trauma, please check out When Mountains Crumble. It will walk you through loss, prayerfully and practically. This will help you get to that kind of miraculous peace even if the miracle you prayed for didn’t come (yet, or didn’t come this side of heaven).

Miracles are sometimes immediate, and we all like those stories. Sometimes, miracles meandering and unfold slowly. And sometimes miracles come to pass in faith on the other side of the veil between heaven and earth.

Miracles don’t always look the way we wanted them to, and sometimes the miracle we see most is the one God does in us through the process of our praying and believing. But one thing we can hang our hat on is this… miracles are always God’s heart for us and they are always on the way.

So when miracle doesn’t come, trust it just hasn’t come YET.