Question: Do you believe the Lord still performs miracles today, or has the era of supernatural intervention passed?
Answer: I have no doubt that miracles still occur every day, although, as indicated earlier, I'm suspicious of people who attempt to market them on demand. I have been privileged to witness some incredible evidences of God's power in my life and in the experience of those with whom I am close. One of the most miraculous events happened to my friend, Jim Davis, when he and his family visited Yellowstone National Park in 1970. Jim was a guest on the Focus on the Family broadcast some time later, and he shared that experience with our listeners. These are his approximate words on that occasion:
My wife and I were both raised in Christian families, and we were taught the power of prayer. But we were not living very godly lives. We did not pray together or have a family altar in our home. About that time, she made a wonderful commitment to the Lord and began praying for me. She bought me a research Bible, and I began to get into the Word. Things started to change in my heart, but I still wasn't mature spiritually.
That summer, we went on a vacation to Yellowstone Park with four other couples. Several of these friends went fishing the next day in an aluminum boat, and one of the ladies hooked a trout. She leaned over to net the fish, and her glasses fell off. They immediately sank to the bottom of the lake. She was very disturbed by the loss because it was the beginning of their vacation, and she could not drive or read without the glasses. She also got severe headaches when she didn't wear them.
That night, everyone was talking about the glasses and how unfortunate it was that they were lost. Then my wife said, "No sweat. Jim is a great scuba diver. He'll go out and find them for you."
"Hey, thanks a lot," I said. "Do you know that Yellowstone Lake has 172 miles of shoreline, and every tree is coniferous and looks exactly the same? There's no way I can get a fix on where you guys were when the glasses went overboard. Besides, the water is very, very cold--50 degrees. They won't even allow you to water-ski out there. And I don't have a wet suit--just a pair of fins and a snorkel."
My objections fell on deaf ears. She told me privately that she intended to pray that the Lord would help me find those glasses.
Yeah, sure, I thought.
The next morning we got in the boat and headed about a half mile out from shore.
"Uh, where do you think you dropped them?" I asked.
"It seems like about here," someone said.
Well, I got in the water, and it was freezing. I took hold of a rope, and the boat dragged me along the surface as I looked at the bottom. The water was about 10 feet deep and crystal clear. We made a swath about 50 feet long and then turned and worked our way back. After about 20 minutes of this search, I was just chilled to the bone. I prayed a little prayer and said, Lord, if You know where those glasses are, I sure wish You'd tell me. I wasn't convinced He knew. It's a very big lake.
But a little voice in my mind said, I know exactly where they are. Get in the boat, and I'll take you to them. Well, I didn't tell anyone about this message because I was too embarrassed to say it. But about 20 minutes later I was just shivering, and I said, Lord, if You still know where those glasses are, I'll get in the boat.
I called out to my friends and said, "We're in the wrong place. They're over there."
I got in the boat and pointed to a spot that I thought the Lord was telling me about. The driver said, "No, we weren't out that far." But we kept going, and I said, "Stop. Right here. This is the place."
I jumped back in the water and looked down. We were right on top of those glasses. I dove to the bottom and came up with the prize. It was one of the clearest answers to prayer I've ever experienced, and it set me on fire spiritually. It was also an incredible witness to my wife and all my friends. And I'll never forget those sparkling glasses at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake.
As dramatic as this story is, I can personally vouch for its authenticity as Jim told it. There are many witnesses who remember that remarkable day on Yellowstone Lake. What I don't know is why the Lord chose to reveal Himself in that way, or why He doesn't do it more often. Clearly, He has plans and purposes to which we are not privy.
I can't resist sharing another incident that ranks as one of the most interesting examples of God's intervention I've ever heard. It occurred in 1945, shortly after the end of the Second World War. A young associate pastor named Cliff and his fiancée, Billie, were anxious to get married, even though they had very little money. They managed to scrape together enough funds for a simple wedding and two train tickets to a city where he had been asked to hold a revival with a friend. By combining this responsibility with their honeymoon, they thought they could make it. They planned to stay at a nearby resort hotel.
The couple got off the train and took a bus to the hotel, only to learn that it had been taken over by the military for use as a rehabilitation center. It was no longer open for guests. There they were, stranded in an unfamiliar city with only a few dollars between them. There was little to do but attempt to hitch a ride on the nearby highway. Soon a car pulled over, and the driver asked them where they wanted to go.
"We don't know," they said, and explained their predicament. The man was sympathetic and said perhaps he could offer a suggestion. A few miles down the road was a grocery store that was owned by a woman he knew. She had a couple of empty rooms upstairs and might be willing to let them stay there inexpensively. They were in no position to be choosy.
The lady rented them a room for five dollars, and they moved in. During their first day in residence, the new bride spent the afternoon practicing the piano, and Cliff played the trombone he had brought with him. The proprietor of the store sat rocking in a chair, listening to the music. When she realized they were Christians, she referred them to a friend, who invited them to spend the rest of their honeymoon in his home. Several days later, the host mentioned that a young evangelist was speaking at a youth rally at a nearby Christian conference center. They were invited to attend.
That night, it so happened that the regular song leader was sick, and Cliff was asked to take charge of the music for the service. What an historic occasion it was! The evangelist turned out to be a very young Rev. Billy Graham. The groom was Cliff Barrows. They met that evening for the first time, and a lifetime partnership was formed. As the Christian world knows so well, Cliff and his wife, Billie, have been members of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ever since that evening and have been used by the Lord in thousands of crusades all around the world. I suppose Paul Harvey would say, "And now you know...the rest of the story."
Isn't it amazing the lengths to which the Lord went to bring these now inseparable team members together? Some would call their meeting a coincidence, but I disagree. I recognize the hand of God when I see it.
Do miracles still occur today as they did in Bible times? Yes, but they usually take place in such a manner as to preserve the need for faith. Even those who witness them must choose whether or not to believe in their validity. I choose to believe!
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From Dr. James Dobson’s book When God Doesn’t Make Sense
