Unseen and Unnoticed

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. II Corinthians 4:16

Who does not want to see God work a visible miracle? Right at this moment I know of three dear friends who are battling cancer. Wouldn’t it be incredible to hear that this perishing of the outward man was halted and my friends’ love on earth could continue? I for one would be rejoicing and you could be sure I would notice their visible miracles.

Being able to even give the hope of these visible miracles will fill a church, a stadium and, in some cases, a healer’s bank account. People notice visible miracles. They will even pay to see them over and over again.

There is, however, a kind of miracle that often goes unnoticed. It fills no churches. It fills no stadiums. It makes no one rich. In fact, this miracle can leave one appearing visibly poor. It is the miracle of daily, inner renewal of those who are perishing outwardly.

There are people all around us, including my three friends with cancer, who are living this daily miracle. Does anyone notice? Would a church give a standing ovation to the miracle of their daily renewal like they do for the outward miracles? Do people seek these inner miracles out as something worth noticing?

One of the effects of the constant pursuit of the outward, visible miracles is that so many "lose heart" because their outer miracle does not happen. I wonder what percentage of prayers for outward miracles are granted in the average church healing campaign? Those who do not receive their miracle can easily "lose heart" because their outward person continues to perish.

Many who continue to perish outwardly leave the healing meetings depressed and full of questions about their weak faith or the selective generosity of God toward others. Many dream of hearing the applause of man and of God but they go home to the quiet fear that their faith is just not up to the task and there is no miracle in their lives.

This is tragic. It is tragic if at the same moment our outer reality is perishing we do not perceive the miracle of our inward man being renewed day by day. It is so easy to notice the miracle in the outer world. It takes spiritual discernment to see the inner miracle. Men show us the outer miracles. Only God can show us the inner miracles.

Wouldn't it be incredible to have a service in a church where the congregation stood and applauded every suffering saint that is being renewed day by day? Wouldn’t it be incredible if the oldest members of the church were applauded for facing their final, difficult years experiencing the miracle of inner renewal? Could it be that we are not trained in our churches to see the inner world at all? Could it be that we only see what men point to and not what God is pointing to?

I have seen some incredible manifestations of God’s healing power here in Brazil. It is hard to miss them when thousands applaud them and make them seem to be the only kind of miracle that truly matters.

I have also seen some incredible daily renewal miracles because God pointed them out to me. I am learning that for most people this is the miracle that truly matters in a world where our Lord said we would have tribulations.

It is a shame that so many among us who suffer the outward perishing of their bodies with so few noticing their daily miracle of inner renewal. Perhaps we cannot applaud them without being misunderstood in most of our churches, but surely we can notice them and rejoice with them.

May God grant me the wisdom to stand and applaud internally this inner miracle that mostly goes unnoticed. And when it is my time to experience something like my friends are experiencing, may God grant me the ability to see my daily miracle and may God send others who will rejoice to see it with me.