by Elizabeth Haarberg

Looking for miracles.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“…but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin

This popular phrase has been passed through generation after generation. But is it true?

I’ve been working on gathering information for the upcoming tax filing season. Yes, I am a law-abiding citizen; therefore, I pay my taxes to the government. However, what does Jesus say about taxes?

“He said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.'”
Luke 20:25

In this case, He is in favor of us paying what is owed to the government. That’s pretty cut and dry.

What about death? Do we have to die?

There were two documented cases in the Bible of individuals that never died. They were Enoch and Elijah.

^“By faith [that pleased God] Enoch was caught up and taken to heaven so that he would not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found because God had taken him;”
Hebrews 11:5

“As they continued along and talked, behold, a chariot of fire with horses of fire [appeared suddenly and] separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”
2 Kings 2:11

I can’t explain how or why this happened, but it did. And if God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, then could this be possible today?

The importance is not knowing if we will die or not, but understanding that it’s possible.

I love to learn about the bigness of God: the dead being raised, the blind seeing, the deaf having their hearing restored. I may or may not see this while on Earth, but I grow deeper in my faith when I hear and read stories of miracles that Jesus works.

I would encourage you to find the miracle stories in the Bible, and read them as if it were happening today. Then, look for the miracles that are happening around us.

God hasn’t stopped working!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado