It cannot be denied that some come to God because of His powerful hand. In fact, they are people who have not fully understood why they follow God. Matthew 4:25 describes crowds coming after Him because of the miracles He performed. They came not only from one region but from many—Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. News of Jesus’ miracles drew many because of their spectacle. Here we see that God is not against miracles or the spectacular; rather, He uses miracles as signposts that lead people to Himself.
The problem arises when people are dazzled and fixated on the miracle itself, making the miracle the final destination. Worse, some seek God only to obtain a miracle, and once they receive it, they leave Him. This happened to the ten lepers healed in Luke 17:11–19: only one—a Samaritan—returned to give thanks. The other nine enjoyed their healing and stopped being healed. They did not meet God through the miracle they experienced. This shows that miracles do not always lead to a true encounter with God; people can meet their own ego and feel they have gotten what they wanted, with no further desire to discern God’s purpose in the miracle. Likewise, many who witnessed Jesus’ miracles later departed from Him (John 6:66), confirming that not everyone who experiences a miracle understands its meaning and purpose.
Many come to God because of His mighty hand, but few come to Him for who He is. Those who truly grasp the essence of following God draw near because of His person. Let us be among that small number. This means that even if our struggles and needs remain unresolved, we will not become disappointed or despair of God.
Saying that the true reason to follow God is His person does not invalidate those who first came because of a miracle. The Greek word for sign, semeion, means “a pointer.” A miracle is one way God calls people back to Himself. Someone who experiences a miracle as an adult and then comes to know God is as legitimate as someone who has known God from childhood. God’s curriculum differs for each person. The problem is when someone becomes fixated on the signpost. If the sign is removed or not given again, they are disappointed.
We should continue to grow in the knowledge of God. Our God is not one who craves praise for spectacular acts; He desires an inward bond with us. He wants us to come to Him not for what He can give, but simply because we want to come. We long for His person. We long for His presence that touches our sinful hearts. We long for counsel, correction, and hope from His Word. This is what He desires of us: a childlike heart that seeks the Father because we recognize how essential He is in our lives.