Receiving Your Christmas Miracle

The Christmas Story is filled with divine happenings. From the angels appearing to the shepherds, to the star that led the magi to Jesus, to the supernatural birth of John the Baptist, to the way God spoke through dreams… There is no shortage of heavenly phenomena in the narrative of Christ’s birth. But perhaps no divine event is as incredible and as astonishing as the conception of Christ by the virgin Mary. Last week, Pastor Dave talked about Mary’s unlikely entrance into the lineage of Jesus. You can catch the message HERE. But something that stood Mary apart was her faith for the miraculous.

As you read through the miracles in the Bible, you discover that there is Old Testament precedence for New Testament miracles. For example, Zachariah and Elizabeth’s miraculous conception of John the Baptist had its roots in Abraham and Sarah’s conception of Isaac. The resurrection of Lazarus has precedence in the deceased young boy brought to life through the ministry of Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24). But no such precedence existed for Mary’s immaculate conception.

This Christmas season, perhaps you are believing for a miracle in your life. You may be praying for a loved one to come home for Christmas, for a financial miracle in your life, or healing from a physical or mental health issue. Looking at Mary’s incredible faith in giving birth to Jesus, we too can catch a glimpse of steps we can take to receive a miracle from God.

Not just able, but willing

I recently saw a Facebook post of a family that had gone through a tragedy. This family deeply loved Jesus and knew that God was able to perform a miracle, but were not as convinced that God was willing to do it. One of their prayer request posts was heartbreaking to read; “We know that God is able. Please pray that He is also willing”

Sadly, this is an area that many Christians struggle in. Certainly, God can grant them aid in their time of need. Certainly, God is powerful enough to stretch out His hand to save and deliver them from torment and destruction. But is He willing?

In Matthew 8, a man that was infected with the deadly skin-eating disease of leprosy approached Jesus and said, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Notice that there was no question about the “can”, His ability. But doubt filled the man’s mind as to His willingness. Jesus’ response is the same response He gives to all that come to Him, including you: “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:3).” I have good news for you. God is not just able; He is also willing.

Miracles Begin with God’s Word

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would miraculously conceive a baby, Mary did something so simple, that it can easily be missed. Luke 1:38 records her words back to Gabriel after hearing of this astonishing miracle God wanted to do in her: “let it be to me according to your word.” She simply received God’s Word.

The starting place of your miracle is not in confessing your sins, it is not in begging and pleading with God to do something, it is not in even fasting and praying. It is in simply receiving the Word of God in your heart.

A Spiritual Womb

The Word of God often refers to itself as a seed. There are a total of 44 verses in the New Testament where the Greek word “sperma” was translated “seed.” This is the same word from which we derive our English word “sperm”. To conceive and give birth to the miracles you need, you must first plant God’s Word like a seed in your spiritual womb, your heart. James 1:21 says, “receive with meekness the implanted word…” Conception cannot take place without first planting the seed in your heart.

In fact, your heart acts like a physical womb. When the seed of a man enters a woman and she discovers that she is pregnant, that is not the moment everyone else finds out. The seed sits in the woman and begins to germinate, and as she begins to “show”, people begin to realize that she is expecting, but still have not seen the manifestation. Finally, the day comes when she delivers, and everyone partakes in the joy of birth.

Likewise, when the spiritual seed of God’s Word enters your heart, you may know that you are expecting a miracle because of the faith that God’s Word produces in you, but no one else can tell. But, as you allow the seed of God’s Word to germinate through worship and meditating on God’s Word, people will notice something different about you as the day of delivery – the day of manifesting your miracle – draws nearer. They will remark about how excited you are or how different you seem, not knowing that you are standing in faith for a miracle. You too will begin to sense a difference in your heart, marked by joy and supernatural peace that all will be well, even before seeing the physical manifestation of your miracle.

It will still require patience and perseverance as the seed of God’s Word continues to germinate. Hebrews 6:11,12 tells us to “have the full assurance of hope until the end (carry the pregnancy all the way through)” because “faith and patience inherit the promises.” Finally, that day arrives when all will see the miraculous hand of God in your life!

Our Miracle Birth

Seven years ago, we needed a miraculous intervention in our twin babies’ lives. London and Kyleigh had been born at 26 weeks and we were told that they only had a slim chance of surviving. If they somehow lived, they would not have a normal childhood, and would always be dependent on medical equipment and procedures due to their weak heart and lungs.

Among the many people that prayed and stood in faith for us was a woman in our Life Group who spoke a verse to us out of Isaiah 26:3, 4. She said, “Chris and Kristy, your daughters will live and nothing will be missing or broken from their lives. They will be whole.”

Like Mary, we received that Word in the spiritual womb of our heart and began to meditate on it. Despite the barrage of negative reports we received from well-meaning doctors, we began to get excited as the Word of God continued to germinate on the inside of us. Finally, one day we walked out of the NICU with our two baby girls miraculously healed. Nothing missing, nothing broken.

The same Word from God that the woman in our Life Group had shared with us was received in the spiritual womb of our heart, it germinated, then we gave birth to it in our lives. On a side note, this shows the power and importance of being in a Life Group where God’s Word is constantly being shared. To join a Life Group now, click HERE.

This Christmas don’t let miracles just be for the Christmas story. God wants to do a miracle in your life. So, which of God’s Word are you going to place in the spiritual womb of your heart?