Expecting Miracles

     Jesus did so many amazing things, but people seem to mostly remember the miracles.  When we are at a crossroad, it seems natural to ask for a miracle to know which way to go.  However, that does not make Jesus happy.  He wants you to have the faith in your relationship to work out the direction that He is leading you.  I am not saying it is always that easy.  Some choices in life are very difficult.  Yet it shows a lack of maturing faith when you need a miracle to know God's will.
     Jesus fed 4,000 men (not counting the women and children) with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.  That is what people remember, but Jesus did not do it to be remembered.  He did it because He had compassion on the hungry crowd that had not eaten in three days.  Jesus is not trying to give signs from Heaven to prove Himself.  He is trying to take care of His people.
     Jesus tries to get us to be careful in whom we associate with because they will influence you.  You may think that you are strong and will only influence them.  However, relationships do not work that way.  We are all influenced by the people in our lives and we influence them in return, but some are stronger than others.  You may not be the stronger influence.  Seek Jesus' guidance in your relationships to find understanding and strength.  Pray for discernment because not everyone has pure intentions.
     Jesus heals people not to be a miracle, but because He has compassion.  He wants all of us to know Him.  To know Him you have to understand how He is compassionate.  He suffered many things so that we could understand just how much He loves us.  To really understand this, you have to move past human concerns and see things through spiritual eyes.
     You can't expect miracles to take care of you when things get hard.  You have to rely on your faith in Jesus.  You are to live a life that tells the world that you are not ashamed to be a part of His family.  Glory will come one day, unless you reject Jesus.

Mark 8