“Big and Small Miracles”... devotional

“Big and Small Miracles”

“So that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin.” —Matthew 17:27

If you made a list of all the big creation miracles Jesus did before he came to earth, what would be on it? My list contains galaxies, black holes, solar systems, the law of gravity, the law of thermodynamics, the atmosphere, the asteroid belt, constellations, and photosynthesis. All of them are God-sized wonders.

When this same Lord lived in Palestine, he performed smaller-scale miracles: withering a fig tree; finding a coin in the fish’s mouth; healing Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever; restoring a man’s shriveled hand. He performed powerful miracles but at a different speed and on a smaller scale than when he created the cosmos.

C.S. Lewis said the Lord’s earthly miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story that is written across the whole universe in letters too large for some to see. How exciting to look up into the heavens and realize that a personal God created in a personal way all that we see. Stars, suns, and galaxies are the very stamp of his power and personality. And this same Lord of creation loves you and me.

But I think the most epic of all miracles will be raising us up and transforming our lowly bodies into glorious bodies like our Lord’s. Talk about power that’s personal! The law of gravity will be turned upside down, and the resurrection of the dead will be written across the whole universe in letters large enough for everyone to see.

Make a point of looking up into the heavens tonight. Even if it’s overcast, there’s a magnificence to it all. Contemplate how marvelous God’s creation is, including you.

Just as David prayed, thanking you for being mindful of him despite how infinitesimally small he was in light of your creation, I join him in that thought, Lord. Thank you that I am significant to you.

Joni Tada Eareckson