May 5

The sun stands still

             On the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord; and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.  There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel.

Joshua 10:12-14

Wait, wait, wait…what?  So there is a battle that Joshua and the Israelites are about to have and Joshua gets up in front of everyone and asks God to stop the sun and the moon from moving across the sky until the battle is won…and it happens?  How does that even work?  How is that even possible?  Does God slow down time?  Can He do that?  Does He stop the planet from spinning?  Everything that I know about physics tell me that there would be major issues with momentum and gravity and the entire way that this world is set up to function if it stopped spinning.  God can do anything, but this?  Really?  For something as small as ending a battle in one day instead of two?

Miracles are a funny thing.  They test the limits of what we think can be possible.  I’ve had money come in from random sources exactly when it was needed.  I’ve been with people who were healed from chronic conditions.  I’ve had a friend healed from a crushed vertebrae and paralysis.  I’ve talked to people who have spoken fluently in languages that they’ve never heard before.  I’ve seen weather change when someone prayed.  I’ve met someone raised from the dead.   As I have told each of these stories, there is always someone listening who has tried to explain why it was not God who did these things but rather…something else.  Maybe they weren’t really dead.  Maybe it was just the power of the human body or spirit.  Maybe I didn’t see what I thought I saw.

What can God do?  What can God not do?  What will God do if we ask Him?  If He does not do the things that we ask, is that a problem with us or with Him or with our request?  These are the questions that come up whenever we start talking about miracles.  My struggle with miracles arises from the fact that God does not work on a system that I understand.  There is not a spreadsheet that lays out when God acts and when He does not.  There is not a faith-o-meter that shows how much I need to believe or how much I have to want divine intervention that will make God respond.  If there is not a system to follow, then there is no control that I have.  If there is no control that I have, then all that I can do is hope and trust that God is good and wants the best for me.

God does what He wants when He wants in order to accomplish His purposes in the world.  But sometimes…sometimes He will listen to the voices of men and women of faith and He will shift heaven and earth to partner with them.

A moment to reflect:

What miracles do you want to see?  Ask God and see what happens.