Guest Post by Bought Beautifully Board President Theresa Miller

Have you ever woken to your alarm and sleepily hit snooze, while convincing yourself, “I’m getting up, I’m getting up,” only to fall back to sleep?

If you read last’s months devotion, you’ll remember that disciplined early mornings are essential to setting the tone for the rest of my day. On one particular morning about a month ago, I pulled the, “I’m getting up, I’m getting up…” I knew better. I dozed right back to sleep when suddenly a sassy voice popped into my head like I had drifted directly into a dream, “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do.” My eyes popped open. Where did that come from? I wasn’t even thinking that. 

Immediately, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper, “It’s not in your thinking, it’s in your position.” In other words, I can convince myself of anything, yet my position speaks volumes about what I really believe. That was an eye opener. I sprung up, adjusting my position.

Just a couple of weeks ago, our town encountered a horrific tragedy. A six year old girl, Esperanza, was pulled under a bus as it was leaving the school bus loop.  The accident quickly brought our town together in hope and prayer, contending for a miracle.

When I first heard the news from a friend, my reaction was sorrowful and helpless, like most others. What could we do, but say a prayer and move on with our day. Yet God stirred in me that there was more we could do. We could come together in prayer to release His power in belief that on the day after Easter, the day after we proclaimed the miracle of Christ’s resurrection, we could proclaim that the same God could resurrect this girl’s body.

But why would we have done that when it seemed illogical that she would survive? 

First let me be clear that God does not cause tragedy. We live in a fallen world where bad things happen for reasons we don’t understand. Yet God always holds the outcome.

In circumstances of tragedy, we have a choice: we can surrender in helplessness to the circumstance or surrender in belief to God, for what He has done, can still do and will do in the present situation.

And our position speaks volumes about what we believe.

So why position ourselves for a miracle?

When we position ourselves in belief for miracles, God opens our eyes and hearts to His power working in areas we could not ordinarily see or receive in our unbelief.

It’s natural for us to think logically and want to move on. It’s natural to surrender to our circumstance and swim back to the calm, more pleasant waters; from helplessness to a sense of control. Life often demands it.

Yet sometimes we’re called to stay in the storm and keep our eyes on Christ, the One we believe can calm the storm with a simple command.

In that storm, we may feel helpless, yet our helplessness either leads us to hopelessness or to the One who brings hope through every tragedy and storm.

It’s the very state we must come to in order to allow God’s power to work in our hearts and through our storms.

When we believe in God’s sovereignty, our hope cannot be in the circumstance or an expected outcome because then our hope would be conditional on how severe or mild the injury or whether or not that miracle we’re contending for happens.

No.

Our hope must be in the One who holds the outcome, believing He is good and works all things together for good for His glory. And when it doesn’t happen the way we think it should, we trust that His ways are higher than ours.

I won’t pretend to understand why God heals some and brings others home. But we do know that God chose to bring Esperanza home, where she is currently captivated by His beauty and held whole in His measureless love, while the rest of us remain here believing for God’s power to raise crushed dreams and broken hearts to new life.

And He alone can do it.

Where God plants new seeds within our soul, our belief positions us for Him to activate that dormant seed to spring forth new life, as it prepares the soil of our hearts for Jesus to work His resurrecting power in and through us.

When tragedies happen, as they will, Jesus invites us to come to Him. What then will our position be? Will we say, “I coming, I’m coming,” yet remain where we are, inevitably dozing off again? Or will we spring forth in belief over the things God is ultimately working to good for His glory?

* * *

Theresa Miller is a wife and homeschooling mama of four children.  She is passionate about family, writing, and ministry that encourages women in this generation. Theresa has been published in MOPS International, MOMSnext e-zine and other on-line publications. Theresa authors Heavenly Glimpses blog, where she captures the heart of Christ through glimpses into the life of her children, marriage, and a writer unfolding.