Give Me A Miracle

Daily Devotion for Advent | Saturday, December 8, 2018

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Have you ever heard somebody say, “If God would just do a miracle, right here and now in front of me, I’d believe in Him”? Whenever I hear this, I roll my eyes. What kind of miracle exactly were they thinking of—the earth opening up and swallowing someone? The heavens torn open and the glory of God being revealed? A voice from the sky booming, “I’M HERE. ARE YOU SATISFIED YET?”

I think that most people asking for a demo miracle underestimate how scary that would be. If I got one of the miracles above, I’d run away so fast you’d smell something burning.

But then there’s the miracle God promised king Ahaz. It was a time when war threatened, and Ahaz didn’t trust God to protect the country. God offered to do a miracle—any miracle—for him to confirm it, and Ahaz wouldn’t even choose one! So God chose for him: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His Name ‘Immanuel’ ” (Isaiah 7:14).

Who could be scared of a baby? Babies are about as weak and harmless as they come. They certainly don’t belong in a war. But this baby—ah, this baby would be God’s miraculous answer to the greatest war the human race has ever faced—Satan’s attempt to destroy us all, body and soul. This tiny baby Jesus would be our fighter, our champion, who would fight the devil and all his power and actually win!—releasing all the people the devil had held in bondage to sin for so many years.

God promised this gentle miracle and kept His promise—to Ahaz, to you, and to me. We don’t need to be afraid. This baby, Jesus, has come to save us.

THE PRAYER: Thank You, Father, for sending us this gentle miracle, Your dear Son Jesus. Help us welcome Him with faith and trust. Amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• If God offered you a miracle of your choice, what would you ask for?
  
• Are babies scary to you? Why or why not—or under what circumstances?
  
• Why do you think God sent Jesus as a tiny baby instead of a great warrior descending from heaven?

The coming Savior’s birth was foretold by the prophets of old and later experienced by many who were on hand as He came into this world. Mary and Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon, shepherds, wise men from the east, a legion of angels, and even King Herod—all play their parts in the Gospel narratives that speak of the Savior’s incarnation. Explore the many ways their lives were touched as God became one of us, for each of us, in The Coming King.