Old Hat Miracles

Sometimes, I read the Bible out loud while doing my devotions. It helps me focus. My mind doesn’t have a chance to wander down a million rabbit trails when I’m reading out loud.Plus, there’s something to be said for that whole auditory learning thing. I’m sure seeing AND hearing the stories helps me remember them, so what I’m reading has a better chance of sticking in my head.The most important difference I’ve noticed though, is that it forces me to envision and walk through the scene more in my mind than when I passively read silently. When that happens, I begin to see these Bible stories in a new way.Instead of me skimming over the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 like it’s just another paragraph, I begin to envision what that size of crowd looked like, what the atmosphere was like, and what it would have felt like to be in that very large group of people. I begin to see that the concern of the disciples is palpable. Jesus multiplying the fish and loaves becomes more than a cute bedtime story—it translates into a truth I can hold onto: Jesus can and does provide.Instead of me skimming the story of how Jesus healed Jarius’ daughter and the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, I walk with the crowd, excited to see what’s going to happen next. I feel the joy and the fear that woman must have felt when Jesus stopped to ask who touched him. I hear her heartbreak as she tells Jesus her story of why she came to him. I see Jarius desperately wanting Jesus to move faster and make it to his little girl on time and hoping against hope that Jesus will be able to save her. And then Jesus does. He RAISES HER FROM THE DEAD. That’s insane! Just try to imagine being in the group of people that were mourning her death before Jesus came, and then seeing her walk out of the house.Sometimes the fact that I grew up hearing these stories means I forget to truly appreciate them and take them to heart. I fail to grasp how absolutely miraculous the life of Jesus really was, from his birth to his ministry to his ascension. This is crazy amazing stuff!!! I don’t want to miss how huge and remarkable these things are.I love seeing these stories in a new light, and I’m so grateful that, even when I treat them as “old hat,” these miracle stories of Jesus will forever hold faith-building truths if I only care enough to listen.