Science vs. Miracles

As a scientist, the idea of miracles has puzzled me for a long time.   

The scientist in me always wants better explanations for miracles than, “He’s God. He can do whatever he wants.”

I mean, that’s true and all, but I still wished for something a little deeper.

And now I have found it.

“He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3a.

He upholds the universe by his word.

I think what the author is saying is God owns all the molecules in the universe.  He owns all the laws of gravity, positive particles attracting negative, and so forth.  He is the one who makes all that stuff keep doing what it does.  Which means he can change it up, too.  Consider the following example.  

You are in charge of the furniture in your living room.  You can put the couch there, the chairs right here, and the TV against that wall.  You can leave them there forever, move them around just for a party, or rearrange every weekend.  You may keep them or replace them if you like.

That is what God does with all of his molecules and all his laws of science.

God is to the laws of nature as you are to the arrangement of furniture in your living room.  He can leave them where he put them, rearrange them, and put them back.  Like your couch and La-Z-Boy, they stay wherever you choose.

Or to say it in a slightly more “science-y” way, dark matter, protons and electrons, the Laws of Thermodynamics, light waves — all of it — behaves how it does because Jesus holds the laws of science in place by his word.  He wills them to remain in motion each second.  If he stopped, they would go out of existence.

You and I, our cars and homes, our puppy dogs and blue jeans, all exist because Jesus keeps holding them in existence.  If he ever paused, we would stop existing immediately.

Miracles are not when God violates the laws of science.  They are his laws.  Miracles are when he rearranges his molecules.  He can do that, just like you can rearrange your TV and entertainment center.

When he rearranges his molecules, it may mean he turns cancer molecules into healthy liver molecules.  Or frees someone from an addiction.  Or makes a broken truck start.

So why not ask him to!  Remember he says, “You do not have, because you do not ask,” James 4:2.   Ask fervently and ask a lot!

Make sure your motives are to honor him.  “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”  James 4:3

Some people enjoy rearranging their furniture and would be quite delighted if someone they love asked them to do it.  I think God is kind of like that.  “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” He is searching for people to show himself strong for.  2 Chronicles 16:9, Psalm 37:4, Jer 33:3.

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