For millennia, people have marveled both in amazement and controversy. While some see them as divine interventions, others perceive them as coincidences or unexplainable events. In Developing Your Sense of Faith: A Faith That Defies All Physical Senses, Dr. David T. Collum asks us to see the daily miracles occurring outside of the physical realm. According to him, religion is about perceiving the invisible—that is, about admitting the hand of God in our everyday life—not just about believing in huge supernatural happenings.
Miracles: What are they?
Miracles have long been characterized as remarkable happenings defying natural laws—that is, healings, supernatural interventions, or inexplicable phenomena. From Moses separating the Red Sea to Jesus turning water into wine, religious books abound with tales of miraculous deeds. Still, Dr. Collum exhorts us to see miracles in a wider sense.
Miracles abound in the tiniest aspects of life; they are not just major happenings. These, too, are miracles: the birth of a child, the goodwill of a stranger, an unexpected gift, or even the will to bear adversity. We start to see and value these daily beauties when we are deeply committed to religion.
Faith: The secret to miracles.
Dr. Collum says one must have faith to experience and comprehend miracles. Without faith, we may write off incredible experiences as just coincidence. But with faith, we come to sense a spiritual presence in our lives above the tangible.
- Believing in Divine Time
Wanting quick responses to their prayers is among the toughest challenges individuals experience. Faith holds that miracles occur in God’s time, not ours. Sometimes, what looks to be an unresolved prayer is really a miracle in development.
For instance, someone could pray for a job and be turned down many times before subsequently finding an opportunity far greater than they had hoped. Through faith, we come to believe that delays are not rejections but rather results of a divine design.
- Appreciating daily miracles.
Though many people think miracles have to be spectacular, Dr. Collum reminds us they may show themselves in subdued forms. These are all miracles—a buddy phoning at the precise moment, a financial breakthrough exactly in time, healing physicians cannot explain. Faith helps us see these gifts rather than ignore them.
- Faith Guides Us Over Difficulties.
Sometimes, the miracle is about changing ourselves, not about our situation. Many have struggled greatly—illness, financial difficulties, personal loss—yet discovered the will to go on. It is itself a miracle to be able to stay positive, find calm among hardships, and carry on despite challenges.
Dr. Collum contends that although religion provides us with the courage to confront challenges, it does not remove them. Looking back on our lives, we sometimes find that what seemed like a terrible delay or circumstance was really a miracle, getting us ready for something more.
How may Your Faith be strengthened to produce Miracles?
- Maintaining a notebook of everyday blessings enables us to appreciate the marvels we sometimes overlook.
- Pray with Expectation: Rather than questioning, pray knowing God is already guiding events.
- Maintaining a religious community around you helps one to believe in miracles.
- Look for the good in trying circumstances; frequently, obstacles bring unanticipated rewards.
- Reading about previous miracles helps one to trust in modern ones.
Final Thought
Miracles are all around us; we need faith to notice them. Dr. David T. Collum’s lessons remind us that God’s hidden hand is working on daily life. Faith lets us see and value miracles, whether via supernatural intervention, unanticipated benefits, or just the fortitude to bear them.
Opening our hearts to the invisible helps us to grow in confidence in God’s plan and start to live with the happy anticipation that miracles occur daily.