Don’t Expect a Miracle When Common Sense Will Do

He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. – Psalm 91:11-12

The news of the California wildfires has been heartbreaking, especially stories of individuals and families who have lost everything. Perhaps most devastating are stories of people refusing to evacuate their homes, declaring that that God will keep them safe. Sadly, these stories almost never end well.

These tragedies are not the result of failure on God’s part, but rather from neglecting the whole counsel of God. That is, Scripture in context. I know, I’ve been known to harp on this subject, but haphazard readings of random verses can be deadly.

For an example of faith in context, take the third chapter of the book of Daniel, the story of specific people in a specific place and time.

King Nebuchadnezzar had commissioned a giant statue of himself to be built. The people had two choices: worship the statue or be thrown into a fiery furnace. Three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, remained faithful to their God, refusing to bow, even knowing the consequences. As you probably know, the Lord rewarded their faithfulness with a miraculous rescue from the fire. This is one of many biblical accounts about how God’s power shines brightest in “impossible” situations, when the only alternative is to deny Him.

But refusing to bow to a pagan idol is a far cry from refusing to evacuate when a wildfire is heading your way. The people who monitor the fires, the ones who sound the alarm, those who take disaster victims to shelter – all can be God’s instruments to save lives.

It’s wonderful to know God and have a strong faith in Him. But to know Him involves reading, rereading, meditating on, and studying His Word on a regular basis – not random, scattered verses, but whole chapters and books. It’s important to know who’s speaking, to whom the words are addressed, where, when, and the circumstances surrounding them.

In other words, context! Without it, our enemy can easily twist a few words to deceive us into doing foolish, evil, or disastrous things. What the serpent told to Eve in the Garden of Eden was a lie combined with a twisting of the truth.

“[Satan said] if you eat [this fruit], your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) The implication was, “God is keeping something good from you.” – not true! The statement “you will be like God” was a twisting of the truth. Adam and Eve were, in a sense, already like God – they were made in His image! (Genesis 1:27) And the serpent’s original statement: “You shall not surely die,” was an outright lie.

Another striking example of Scripture quoted out of context is the account of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Satan had already tempted Him twice, and He had fought back with Scripture – “It is written …”

Finally, in one last-ditch effort, the devil tried quoting Scripture himself:

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

"He will command his angels concerning you
            to guard you carefully. 
They will lift you up in their hands, 
            so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."  - Luke 4:9-11

At first glance, it seems the devil is quoting the verse from Psalm 91, quoted at the beginning of this post. But take a closer look: Did he leave something out?

If you said, “‘in all your ways‘,” you’re right! “In all your ways” means as you’re going about your daily business – not when you’re deliberately putting yourself in harm’s way. It means as you humbly follow Him, not as you’re putting Him to the test in a showy and unnecessary display of “faith.”

Our God-given minds are able to speculate, anticipate, and plan for the future. He’s created us with different gifts, abilities, resources, personalities, and opportunities; the variety of people and professions in the world reflect this diversity. Our nation consists of builders, pilots, doctors, police, firefighters, and many others. The Lord does this so that none of us is independent of the others. (He loves it when we need and appreciate one another.)

My father used to tell the story of the man whose house was in the path of floodwaters. When the water was ankle-deep, rescue workers offered him a ride in a Jeep, but he refused, declaring, “I’m trusting the LORD to save me!” When the floodwaters were flowing into his living room, a Coast Guard boat came by, offering to take him to safety, but again he declared, “I’m trusting the LORD to save me!” Still later, as the water continued to rise, the man was sitting on his roof. A helicopter hovered overhead, and a ladder was lowered to him, but … well, you know what he said. Finally, his house was washed away, and he was ushered, dripping wet, to the Pearly Gates.

“LORD, I trusted You!” he sputtered. “Why didn’t You save me?!”

The LORD sighed, “I tried three times.”

I see prayers answered every day, and they almost never come in the form of miracles, or even “what-are-the-chances?“-type events. They come in the form of friendly faces, kind words, good neighbors, and helpful people sharing their expertise. The demand and expectation of miracles may be more a matter of ego than faith. Usually the only “miracle” in my stories is that the God of the universe cares about a common, flawed woman like me.

So, if you are desperately praying for help from heaven, just know that an angel could well show up as a paramedic, a tow truck driver, or a firefighter.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the many “ordinary” days You keep us safe and whole and healthy, even (especially) when we fail to notice and give You thanks. We acknowledge that You owe us nothing, and yet You have given us everything – the gift of Your Son, that we can be forgiven through Him and have everlasting life. What greater gift could we want? In Jesus’ name, amen.