Special days.

A day designated as a national holiday or a day of observance for something special is a good thing. This is especially true for the long winter when some distraction is needed from the cold and dark days.

February has a number of special days. Ground Hog’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, even Leap Year are included this year. These special days are celebrated in special ways. Some might even want to include football’s Super Bowl as special. It is certainly celebrated though not a national holiday. Traditions for these days include shadows and flowers, cards and candies. Leap year has its own traditional celebrations. We wish a special “Happy Birthday” to those born February 29!

We also count the number of birthdays and wedding anniversaries, commemorating certain ones in a special way. These celebrations add to the joys of life.

The King James Version of the Bible only records two uses of the word “special,” both quite significant.

First, people can be special. According to Deuteronomy 7:6, responding to his call and being chosen can make people become special and holy to the Lord. A relationship with the Almighty opens incredible opportunities for faithful people.

Second, miracles were called special. A miracle conversion changed Saul of Tarsus who later became known as Paul. Miracles continued to bring great changes to people through healing, resurrection, conversion and salvation. God worked “special” miracles by the hands of Paul in Acts 19:11, demonstrating divine power and provision. Both diseases and demons were subject to those special miracles.

Miracles in themselves are special. The dictionary defines a miracle as “an extraordinary event manifesting a supernatural work of God.” For example, Acts chapter three describes how a man lame from birth was healed and able to walk for the first time in over 40 years of his life. This was called a “notable miracle.”

These instances reveal how the Lord desires to take a special interest in each of us. The gospel story is full of situations that show how he ministered to multitudes that numbered thousands and yet he took time to touch an individual life. He ministered to needs ranging from healing to forgiveness to instruction of great life-changing truths.

I look back on special days when God showed me his power. A day in the hospital when prayer caused pain to leave. After a prayer of repentance, I felt the wonderful freedom that forgiveness brings. The name of Jesus “washed” sins away in the waters of baptism. I sensed the glory of his presence as I was filled with his Spirit according to his promise. Those special days stand out in my memory. The Lord gave special answers to ordinary prayers.

Every day has the potential of being special. The Bible gives this assurance, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is his faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Every morning a supply of unfailing compassion is ours from the Lord. He is faithful to his word. Find out how special the Lord can be to you as you put your faith in him according to his word.

Mitch Glover is pastor of the Sterling Pentecostal Church located on Swanson River Road and Entrada. Services on Sunday include Bible classes for all ages at 10:00 a.m. and worship at 11:00 a.m. Thursday Bible study and kids POWer Hour is at 7:00 p.m. (sterlingpentecostalchurch.com)