Before you can have faith, there is one step that you must embrace. You must believe in that ultimate higher power we call God. Traditionally, that’s where logic and faith come into conflict. So, let’s start with that basic foundation. Does God exist?

It would be nice if we could start with a clean slate, but we cannot. By the time we try to examine the evidence, our thought process is already contaminated. The very concept of “God” is distorted by a lifetime of images, stories, and expectations. Hollywood has taught us to expect a massive, powerful presence, speaking in a thunderous voice and emphasizing His power with a display of some impressive miracle.

Lacking that miracle, we struggle to believe.

Our primary handicap is that we have become so accustomed to living with miracles, that we don’t recognize them anymore. So, lets’ just start with one. It’s called combustion, and it is one of those miraculous events that has been with humanity throughout our existence,

In its simplest terms, combustion is a chemical process that we commonly call fire. If it didn’t exist, it would probably be a stretch for any science fiction writer to imagine. If we think of all the materials that fire can consume, it becomes even more miraculous. If we view it as a tool that mankind has used since the beginning, we can begin to appreciate how vital it is to our existence. If we reflect on it, we can see the history of how humans used, tamed, and adapted fire over the centuries.

Fire warmed the caves where the earliest humans sought shelter. It provided light in the darkness. It cooked foods, making it easier to digest. It became a tool to dispose of the remains of those who died. Eventually, fire heated the boilers that propelled steam-driven ships at sea and railroads upon the land. It is the combustion of fossil fuels that propels most of the land vehicles in use today. Fire enabled mankind to work metals and create glass vessels. Ultimately, fire became a weapon due to its destructive power.

And, all the while. we took it for granted. We failed to appreciate that fire was one of the tools that enabled us to exist. And like many other elements of our existence, we needed to appreciate the hazards that came with the benefits – benefits that far outweigh the risks.

If we can shed the blinders that keep us from appreciating the miracle that fire represents, we can begin to grasp the probability that such a miraculous tool could hardly be an accident of nature.

Perhaps then, we can see that fire is just one of the miracles that God performs before our eyes, every day.