Miracles

Have you ever wondered, or give a thought, about this question : Does God still work miracles NOW? I personally don't think so, well at least not in the following context. It's very rare to see miracles such as those in the New Testament. We don't see the feeding of a crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fishes now. We don't see demons get cast out now (at least not like in Jesus' time). We don't see lame people walk miraculously, or the blind receive their sight now (I don't mean through operations or surgeries), what more to say the dead being raised? BUT, I definitely believe God works miracles in a different way now. Don't believe? Judge it for yourself at the end of this post.

It has been so many years since I started going to our youth group, Elim Youth. When I was much younger, nothing mattered to me, cause all I do was have fun, without a care in the world. But now, many things are different. I'm no longer just another normal Elim Youth-goer but I'm someone with responsibility. I'm in the committee. I have always considered our youth to be so-called "unlucky". Why? Well, I have always envied at other youth groups of other churches. They have everything. From quality to quantity. "Why?" I asked God. What is wrong with our youth group? Not to say we don't have quality, but the quantity. Everyone knows that quantity does not matter when compared to quality but isn't it discouraging when you attend the youth and the number is like 10?? It definitely is, especially when you're in the committee. Throughout the years, the numbers have changed. Not that it got bigger but instead, it got smaller. Now, stop for a second and think. A small number of people is already discouraging enough, what more to say when that small number grows smaller? I don't remember whether it was this year or last year but there was a time when only 5 people turned up for EY. 5. Only. I thought to myself at that point, how could this youth group survive??

But by the grace of God, a miracle happened. I truly and strongly believe in the power of prayer. I prayed (not sure about the others) and waited. I prayed again and waited. I thought God has given up on us. The only reason I could think of why there was no increment in our numbers is that God was not satisfied. The prayer I prayed - "Lord, please bless our Elim Youth. Pray that more people will come for our EY, Lord. Let us, the committee, first correct our attitudes and our lives before we try to bring more people to the EY. Strengthen us in our walk with you so that we can lead the other youths in EY." That's the gist of it. Well, God doesn't always answer prayers speedily and He didn't with mine either but He surely DID answer it after all. And this is the part which I claimed, was a miracle. Would you believe it or not, just lately (for the past two weeks), our numbers have gone up from barely over 15 to nearly over 30. That's twice the amount, people! TWICE!! Praise the Lord indeed!

Now if this is not a miracle to you, ladies and gentlemen, then I don't know wat is. I'd never really know why our numbers have not grown for the past years but two things I know for sure is that God answers prayers (in His time) and God works miracles even now. I know now that God's favour is upon the youth group. And that's the only and very reason why we are growing - in quantity, and not forgetting spiritually. May this story be an encouragement to all who read. Miracles have not extinct.