I heard a new, young believer the other day express her doubts about God and that what He says is true. "I prayed, and He did not answer. I asked, and He did not give. I think the Bible contains only empty promises."

My heart ached for this girl, but less about her plight than about the fact that she reflected the view of many Christians I know. Too often, we see God as Santa Claus or a slot machine: Be good, make a list, and you get anything you ask for. Put your coins in the right place, and good stuff will come pouring out.

In Jesus' day before anyone knew who Santa or a slot machine was, the people clamored for miracles. They wanted Jesus for what He could give them--healing, food, even raising their dead. I just finished reading the book of John, where not one time does the word "miracles" occur. Instead, they are called signs. Jesus wanted to be sure that the people weren't loving Him because of these supernatural occurrences--for what He could give them--but that the signs would serve to point them back to eternal salvation.

Take John 6 for example. The people had just witnessed the feeding of the 5,000 men plus women and children and then Jesus walking on the sea. So they came in throngs seeking Him:

"When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, 'Rabbi, when did You get here?'

Jesus answered them and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal" (John 6:24-27).

Miracles get one's attention, but often only for a moment. Remember in Exodus when God made water gush from rocks and bread fall from the skies? The children of Israel were amazed at the manna--bread come down from heaven--temporarily. All too soon, they started grumbling that the bread didn't taste that good after all. Then they cried out, again, and said: "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at not cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" (Num. 11:4-6).

When God performs physical, mental, emotional, relational or financial miracles, each one conveys an important spiritual message and confirms the reliability of the gospel (Mk 16:20). They often do attract people to the Truth, but miracles do not in themselves bring salvation. So what's the big deal if we served a God who could prolong a person's life for 15 years through healing if He couldn't also give eternal life? His work would just prolong the agony and delay the revelation of His capabilities.

Jesus knew that satisfying the temporal needs does not necessarily lead people to the eternal ones. He knew that once they got all the material loaves they wanted, they would no longer feel a need for the Bread of Heaven. He knew they would still seek the gift more than the Giver. That's why He spent time explaining the Band-aid, temporary, fill-your-stomach fixes versus true surgery on the soul that changed the life forever.

Calvin Miller assumes the first person of Jesus when he writes:
"I [Jesus] fed the multitude because they were hungry. There is no joy quite so fulfilling as knowing that you have given the hungry a filling meal. I could have done this every day of my ministry. In fact, my entire saving mission could have easily been turned into one huge cafeteria service. I could have faced the north and said on any given Thursday, 'Let every pantry for a hundred miles be instantly filled.' Then I might have faced the other directions and done the same. Why did I not do it? Because, I realized the supply of bread is a kind of addiction. To give a man a slice begs a whole loaf the next time. Furnish one loaf to a starving man, and he will soon seek to own his own bakery. You may wish to argue the point. 'May we not give anyone a slice of bread in the name of God?' Well, I had given them a bread in the name of God, and they came by force to make me a king (John 6:15). They really didn't want a king; they wanted an unending meal ticket. They didn't want me as the Lord of life, but Lord of the larder. Bread given, even in the name of God, quickly becomes the god of the hungry. The hungry worship in bakeries more readily than in temples. . . . The people were poor. When I gave them bread, I did something you could call humanitarian. But alas, much of the time humanitarianism leads to that practical atheism that claims to believe in the Bread come down from heaven, while it puts all of its emphasis on the kind you can toast."

So what's the challenge to you and me as the persuaded today? First, even when you pray for physical, finanacial or relational miracles, do so with the end in mind. I prayed this week for a young non-Christian woman who was having a serious surgery. My prayer was not just "Lord heal her and give her back her life" but "Lord, bring her to You, and if You accomplish that through her healing, please do it now." Once we pray in this way, we can know that however He answers your prayer, He is doing so for His purposes.

Second, help those in desperate need see the bigger picture of eternity. Let them observe you living for the things that last. Then help guide them to how their own need can serve to bring Him glory. Who do you know who has never tasted the better bread? You know this glorious loaf personally. You hold the Truth in your hand. Give it to them. It is the only Bread that matters.

And so it is. Miracles as the end or miracles as the means? Jesus meant them clearly to be a means to finding Him. Go ahead and ask God for the spectacular. But live out His miracle purpose in your life, and share His miracle purpose with the world.