A MINDBOGGLING MIRACLE by Precious C Philip

So, I came across this story in the Bible randomly and I decided to study it detailedly since it sounded new to my ears when I heard it. After studying it, I knew I had to share it with my audience on my blog because it blessed me. Whatever insight I get from God's word, I share to bless others.

The story goes thus: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff. 3 Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant,[b] where I meet with you. 5 Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”

6 So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff. 7 Moses placed the staffs in the Lord’s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.[c] 8 When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!

9 When Moses brought all the staffs out from the Lord’s presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff. 10 And the Lord said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant[d] to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.” 11 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him." Numbers 17:1-11

The summary of this story is that the Israelites grumbled against God, complained about the leadership of Moses and queried the priesthood of Aaron. For God to put an end to their complaints and grumbling, He instructed Moses to ask the twelve leaders of each of the twelve tribes of Israel to each present a wooden staff  and inscribe their name on it - the staff of the man God chooses will bud the following day. This they did, and as God instructed Moses, he placed the twelve staffs in the Tent of Meeting.

The following day, Moses went into the Tent of Meeting and saw that Aaron's staff had sprouted, budded, blossomed and produced ripe almonds! He came out with it and the rest of the staffs and presented them to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each tribal leader took his own staff. But for Aaron's, the Lord instructed Moses to place it permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels, and to put an end to the people's complaints and grumbling.

Now, what do we learn from this story? THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING GOD CANNOT DO. He can break laws of nature to do whatever He wants to do, because He created nature, sustains nature, and nature is subject to Him. 

Imagine the UNDOABLE things God did in this story:

1. God made a wooden staff that is lifeless to bud (grow & put forth tiny swellings that'd develop into shoots, leaves or flowers), to sprout (put forth shoots), to blossom (produce flowers) and then produce ripe almonds! This is simply supernatural! What kind of God is this! He gives life to dead things because He is the AUTHOR of life and the GIVER of life.

2. God made this lifeless wooden staff to bud, sprout, blossom and produce ripe almonds in JUST ONE DAY! You and I know this is naturally and humanly impossible, but the Almighty God did it. An almond tree would take years to bud, sprout, blossom and produce almonds. And take extra time for the almonds to ripen. 

According to research, an almond tree can take as long as five to twelve years to start producing almonds. But God did all this in one single day. Hallelujah! What a mighty God we serve.

3. This lifeless wooden staff was not planted and watered to grow into an almond tree. It was simply placed in a room and the Almighty God transformed it overnight. What can God not possibly do? What is too hard for Him to do? Nothing!

4. It was not accounted that this wooden staff brought by Aaron was made out of an almond wood. So it could have been wood from any other tree e.g oak tree, and God could make an oak wood produce almonds. What a God! No wonder He boasted "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too difficult for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27. Indeed, there is nothing too difficult for God to do!

Dear sister/brother, let this story encourage you to be firm in your faith in God and to steadfastly trust God to handle that difficult or impossible situation facing you right now.

Jesus said "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

God can take care of that ugly situation. God can rescue you out of that terrible predicament or calamity. God can deliver you from that immoral lifestyle, that harmful addiction, those bad habits, and transform you into a righteous man/woman. God can do that which doctors have told you is impossible. 

Are you barren? Are you jobless for years? Have you been seeking for admission without success? Have you been desiring for a promotion at work without success? Are you afflicted in your body with a terminal disease or an incurable sickness? Are you struggling with letting go of sinful habits? Are you held captive by harmful addictions? I bring you God's word in Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible."

Cry out to God today in your closet and remind Him of what He did in Numbers 17 with Aaron's staff. He gave life to a lifeless staff and it budded, sprouted, blossomed and produced ripe almonds - ready to eat. Ask God to give you a new life, a new beginning, a new business, a new career. Ask God to transform your life. Ask Him to give life to your dead organs, dead business, dead marriage, dead academics, dead career,... Ask Him to save your soul. Ask Him to come to your aid. Ask Him to heal you. Ask Him to grant your heart's desire. He does not change; He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I pray for you today that as you desperately call on God with a sincere heart, He will hear and answer you. God bless you.

Shalom.