As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 3 of The Grave Robber, he wants his readers to clearly understand that only God can perform miracles. God gets all the glory. Yet, Mark adds that almost every miracle has a human element. And while some miracles take a single step of faith, others require multiple attempts.
Pastor Batterson states that there is an invisible, impassible fence dividing the natural and the supernatural. We can’t dig under it, climb over it, or walk around it. But there is a gate in that fence, and His name is Jesus!
However, there are two trip wires Pastor Batterson has identified that keep us from stepping into the miraculous:
1. Subliminal skepticism. Because miracles, by definition, violate natural laws, we instinctively object. Miracles defy logic. We tend to explain away what we cannot explain. Mark defines skepticism as a “predisposition toward disbelief that is prejudiced by past experience.” Discernment is filtering or distinguishing what is false from what is true with the help of Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Falsehoods don’t negate truth.
2. Dormant disappointment. When our prayer for a miracle aren’t answered or miracles don’t happen the way we want, disappointment is our knee-jerk reaction. As Pastor Batterson states, “we pull back on the reins of faith because we don’t want to feel the sting of disappointment again.” If we want to experience the miraculous, we have to confront the dormant disappointment in our past.
Today’s question: Have you experienced subliminal skepticism or dormant disappointment? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The single greatest miracle”
