God works among men according to their faith

2 Nephi 27:23

For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/27?lang=eng

I have been thinking a lot about faith as of late, and I just love that verse. It points out three important things. 

1. God is a God of miracles

2. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever

3. He works among men according to their faith 

Let me expound upon each of these briefly. 

God is a God of miracles

You don’t find a car salesman saying that he is a man that performs surgery, or a dentist saying he builds houses. You find those of their profession claiming they do their profession, a car salesman sells cars, a surgeon performs surgery, a dentist works on teeth, and a home builder builds houses. Similarly, God is telling us that He is a God of miracles, meaning He performs miracles as His profession. In Moses 1:39 it reads, 

“For behold, this is my work and my glory–to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” How does He do this; by miracles. Not just one miracle, but continuous miracles. 

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever

So, if he performed miracles for those that have past, did he stop performing miracles? Has His work to save souls stopped? Does He love the olden day saints and prophets more than modern or future saints and prophets? Of course not, all of these are absurd questions, and yet this is what all of churches of day profess, because the reveled word of God has ceased, revelation has ceased, and miracles have ceased. The question and key is not if they have ceased, but rather why am I or you not filled with revelation and seeing miracles in our lives continuously?

He works among men according to their faith 

The answer to the above question is answered with this statement: “I [God] work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.” Playing on the analogy I used earlier, why would you call a surgeon, dentist, car salesman, or home builder if you do not need their services and believe or hope that their services would satisfy your needs? Recently, I made a post called, Hope is putting faith to work (http://spiritualcrusade.blogspot.com/2017/07/hope-is-putting-faith-to-work.html). Here is the quote I used in that post: 

Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier. Thomas S. Monson. 

This relationship between hope and faith is interesting. If we have a cavity we believe and hope that a dentist would be able to take care of and fill the cavity. Our hope then initiates putting our faith to work, we pick up the phone and make an appointment with the dentist and through our faith we get in the car and go to our appointment. Similarly, with everything we do in life. Our hope drives us to study for the exam, call the mechanic when our car breaks down, jump in the pool to cool off, and the list goes on and on. Now, on the flip side, the services required are administered based on the actions (faith) of the individual. For example, when the dentist comes in to fill your cavity, he performs the service based on the action performed by the patient. If the patient comes to the appointment, he fills the cavity, but if the patient lacked the faith to come to the appointment, the cavity can’t be filled. This is where we bring this full circle to answer the question, Why am I or you not filled with revelation and seeing miracles in our lives continuously? It is simply because we lacked the hope in God and His son, Jesus Christ, and therefore without sufficient hope, faith is not exercised and without faith (actions), no revelation or miracles can be administered. Quite frankly, we never showed up to the appointment.

I would like to bear testimony here today, that miracles have not ceased and revelation has not ceased. As we exercise great faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we will receive revelation and have miracles in our lives on a continual basis. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.