Waiting For A Miracle
What does God say about providence?
Sitting in waiting rooms, undergoing tests, and receiving answers—sometimes none—I became accustomed to the medical environment. My road to having a child was long. I’m actually back in doctors’ offices now, hoping for more children. And though I don’t know why God set me on this path, I know it is my path, and I will glorify him through it all. We eventually had our first child, but describing that experience requires careful thought, and I hesitate over how best to express it. So here goes…
“And though I don’t know why God set me on this path, I know it is my path, and I will glorify him through it all.”
After some time of trying without success, we pursued basic medical care, and my primary doctor recommended a NaPro OB-GYN. A procreative doctor who takes a holistic approach to fertility. I was intrigued. This doctor sought to understand and treat the underlying issues, ultimately helping us address many problems and setting the course for a beautiful journey that led to our wonderful daughter. This doctor also held the view that God was the ultimate creator of life and weaved that into his practice. Along the way, I met women who took different paths, some hoping for a miracle without medical intervention, some adopting, while others sought help through other medical means. All this to say all of our choices and journeys were not superior to the others. Mine was not better. Mine was simply what I felt called to do.
“There is something profoundly sacred about understanding the intricacies of human biology and seeing how it all points back to God’s work. “
I felt deeply that learning more about my own body and working with a provider who also sought God’s wisdom would bring greater glory to him. How could it not? And it did just that. The more I learned about our bodies, the more I marveled at God’s design. There is something profoundly sacred about understanding the intricacies of human biology and seeing how it all points back to God’s work. Yet, sometimes it feels like we, as Christians, question whether seeking medical help diminishes God’s power, as if we’re “cheating” by not waiting for a miracle.
This brings me to the topics of miracles and acts of providence. What exactly are miracles, and what constitutes acts of providence? Horton, in his book The Christian Faith, states, “Unlike God’s ordinary providence, his miraculous intervention involves a suspension or alteration of natural laws and processes in particular circumstances” (368). A miracle, therefore, is defined as God’s direct and extraordinary intervention that transcends or supersedes the natural order. Furthermore, miracles are referred to as “signs” in scripture because they signify the unmistakable power of God. In essence, a miracle is clearly and distinctly from God.
Now, turning to God’s providence, we can reference a more scholarly definition. According to the Heidelberg Catechism, “providence is the almighty and ever-present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty—all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand.” Providence emphasizes the belief that God is actively involved in sustaining the world in which we live.
“Is seeking medical help a sign of lacking faith? Shouldn’t we just wait for God to perform a miracle? “
As I’ve journeyed through this experience, I’ve noticed that our culture, including Christian circles, grapples with a tension: Is seeking medical help a sign of lacking faith? Shouldn’t we just wait for God to perform a miracle? Some may think that if we pursue medical interventions, we might credit mankind with the healing, potentially setting us on the wrong path. However, if we recognize that all knowledge, whether medical or otherwise, comes from God, the opposite is true: seeking intervention can draw us closer to him. In my view, science is a means of understanding how God has structured the world. When we pursue knowledge, we are not stepping away from God but encountering him in new ways. If all truth is God’s truth, then learning about our bodies is just another way to witness his brilliance. Is science fallible? Is our human knowledge fallible? Yes, but that’s why walking with God through this process is essential—because he is infallible.
In my infertility journey, I felt God’s call to seek his providence through medical care. I believed that partnering with a provider who approached fertility holistically and prayerfully would highlight God’s power. And it has. Learning about how our bodies function—the intricate cycles, the hormonal interplay has deepened my awe of God’s creation. Yes, my body was broken in some ways, but that’s part of living in a fallen world. Even in its brokenness, God’s design is breathtaking. This experience has not only reinforced my faith but also expanded my understanding of how God reveals himself, not just through miracles but through creation and knowledge. Even after the surgeries, biopsies, supplements, charting, and ultrasounds, I know God alone is the author of life.
More important than distinguishing between providence and miracles is the need for us to be prayerful about which direction to seek with them. What is the posture of our hearts? Is our own agenda at play? Are we asking God to act according to our desires? The Bible teaches that God’s sovereignty and wisdom are far beyond human comprehension, and we cannot dictate how he should act, whether he chooses to intervene miraculously or work through ordinary providential means. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” We cannot assume we know how God will act; we can only pray, read scripture, and seek his direction.
“All things are given by God, knowledge, skills, talents, everything. A doctor’s healing is a form of God’s providential care within his created order. God’s hand is present and operates through the natural gifts and abilities he has provided.”
All things are given by God, knowledge, skills, talents, everything. A doctor’s healing is a form of God’s providential care within his created order. God’s hand is present and operates through the natural gifts and abilities he has provided. In my case, the calling to pursue this specific doctor and intervention came from a desire to rest in God’s providential care. Doctors, medicine, and the natural healing process are manifestations of God’s sovereignty and grace. As a Christian, I believe that everything has been created and revealed by God. We may possess knowledge, but it is God who illuminates that knowledge. It is essential not to devalue or overvalue miracles or God’s providence. Just as with miraculous events, we can glorify God in both ordinary and extraordinary ways, recognizing that all healing ultimately comes from Him.
Citation:
The Heidelberg Catechism. (2008). The Heidelberg Catechism: With a new introduction (Rev. ed.). Reformation Heritage Books.
Horton, M. (2011). The Christian faith: A systematic theology for pilgrims on the way. Zondervan.
