Supernatural

Google defines supernatural as "something attributed to a force beyond scientific understanding or the known laws of nature."  In the Star Wars series this was described as "the Force" and characters were quick to say, "May the Force be with you!"  but that was fiction.  There are lots of supernatural events described in the Bible.  Jesus, in response to John the Baptist's question, "are you the one?" said ... "Go with what you are observing.  The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear and the dead are raised." (Matthew 11).  Go with the supernatural.

When we talk about Biblical things that are supernatural we might wonder two things.  What causes these things to occur?  Why do they happen?  John 2 gives a little insight.

John 2 is where Jesus changes the water into wine at a wedding.  I have wondered about this supernatural happening.  It seems almost below Jesus' "standard" to perform a miracle that seems to only benefit people who want to keep drinking it up at a wedding.  Yet, He does this at the suggestion of Mary, His mother.  What is up here?

Let's go to my second question first.  Why do miracles and supernatural things happen in Scripture?  This one is pretty easy.  These things happen to glorify God ... to demonstrate something about God's power ... to teach us something about God's care ... to allow us to see beyond the "natural."  In a sense, watching a miracle and celebrating that it happened is akin to worship ... when we see these things we naturally want to point to God.  That is always good.  These happenings let us know that God is not absent from daily life ... He is here ... present ... involved.  God is shouting that he can take the common and transform it into the uncommon.  He is saying ... "Always look past what you think you see!  Follow me and I will show you things ... teach you things ... allow you to glimpse the power and compassion of a God beyond your understanding.  I will let you stand in the temple (currently the lives of God's people) and see a bit of who I am ... but you better be watching and you better be believing or it will go right past you."

The other question ... "What causes these things to occur?" is both simple and complex.  It is clear that they are "beyond nature" and are powered by a force beyond our understanding.  We want to know the mechanics of these miracles and we strive to fit them into our scientific understanding and our little minds.  My suggestion to you is ... stop.  Be still and know that He is God.  Put your haughty "I have a right to know"on hold and just enjoy that God has graced you with that moment when you are able to see His power and His provision at work.  God causes these things to happen.  And, like Job, "I place my hand over my mouth."  Randy