How do miracles fit with the laws of nature?
Jeremiah 32:17
17 “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
Miracles don't conflict with the "laws of nature," because those regular patterns come from the same God who, at His word, does what is extraordinary within creation. The laws describe what creation ordinarily does under God's hand; miracles describe what the Lord of creation specially does. Same hand, different work.
Where this is seen in Scripture
- Creation is the foundation. In Jeremiah 32:17 Jeremiah prays, "Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you." The laws of nature are not autonomous forces; they are the regular patterns God Himself established when He spoke the world into being (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11, "in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day"). The Maker is over the made.
- Same power for the ordinary and the extraordinary. What is true of the creating work is true of any further act of power within creation: Luke 1:37, "with God nothing shall be impossible"; Matthew 19:26, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible"; Jeremiah 32:27, "is there any thing too hard for me?"; Genesis 18:14, "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?"; Job 42:2, "thou canst do every thing."
- Miracles are not violations but acts of the Author. A violation only makes sense if nature is independent of its Maker. In Scripture, nature has no such independence. When God does a startling new thing within it (the flood of Genesis 7–8, the fire on Abraham's sacrifice in Genesis 15:17, the confusion of languages in Genesis 11:1–9, the virgin conception of Christ in Luke 1), He is not breaking a rule outside Himself; He is doing what He who set the rules can freely do.
What this means for reading the Bible
- When you come to a miracle, the right question is not "How could the natural order allow this?" but "What is the Lord of creation choosing to show here?" The how is by His great power and His outstretched arm (Jeremiah 32:17).
- This should make miracles the ground of worship, not the object of suspicion. The same Lord who keeps the regular course of creation is the Lord who parts seas, opens wombs, raises the dead, and became flesh in the virgin's womb.
Carry this verse
Jeremiah 32:17 — "you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you."
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026
Miracles do not conflict with natural laws, because the steady rhythms of the cosmos and its miraculous interruptions proceed from the exact same sovereign hand. Natural laws simply describe the ordinary patterns by which the Creator sustains His world, while miracles reveal what the Lord of creation does when He acts in an extraordinary way. When Scripture records a miracle, it shows the Author freely writing upon His own canvas rather than breaking an external rule.
The Creator's Authority
The Maker Forever Stands Over What He Made
“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV)
Jeremiah connects God's original creation of the heavens and the earth directly to the reality that nothing is too hard for Him.
In Jeremiah 32:17, the prophet turns his eyes to the overarching reality of God's sovereign craftsmanship: ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. A created thing can never place an absolute limit upon its Maker. When Genesis 1:1 records that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, it reveals an omnipotent Author who precedes every physical substance, every governing principle, and time itself. He did not step into an existing system to manage its gears; rather, as Exodus 20:11 recounts, the Lord fashioned the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all their contents in six days by His commanding voice. Consequently, nature possesses no autonomy independent of His sustaining will.
Scripture makes plain that what modern observers describe as natural laws are simply the ongoing, orderly activities of the living God. Colossians 1:16 declares that all things, visible and invisible, were created by Christ and for Christ. Far from abandoning the cosmos to spin along an impersonal track, Colossians 1:17 affirms that in Him all things hold together. The Son continually sustains the entire fabric of reality, as Hebrews 1:3 proclaims that He upholds the universe by the word of His power. Nehemiah 9:6 confesses that the Lord alone made the heavens, the earth, and the seas, and He actively preserves them all moment by moment. When the sun knows its setting and the moon marks the seasons (Psalms 104:19), they do so not by inherent autonomy, but because the Sovereign King appointed their paths.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 1:1 | God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing in the beginning by His sovereign command. |
| Exodus 20:11 | The Lord fashioned the heavens, earth, sea, and all their contents in six days and rested on the seventh. |
| Jeremiah 32:17 | The God who established heaven and earth by His outstretched arm faces nothing that is too difficult. |
| Colossians 1:16 | All things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, were created by and for Jesus Christ. |
| Colossians 1:17 | Christ is before all things, and in Him all things hold together and consist continuously. |
| Hebrews 1:3 | The Son upholds the entire universe and all its workings by the word of His power. |
| Nehemiah 9:6 | The Lord alone made heaven, earth, and seas, and continually preserves them all. |
| Psalms 104:19 | God appointed the moon for seasons and the sun knows its setting. |
Divine Omnipotence
No External Barrier Restrains the Will of God
For no word from God will ever fail.”
Luke 1:37 (NIV)
The angel Gabriel settles the wonder of the virgin conception by declaring that no word from God is devoid of power.
Luke 1:37 records Gabriel's quiet, decisive answer to Mary's natural wonder over the virgin conception: for nothing will be impossible with God. The laws that govern human biology, chemistry, and motion are not impassable walls to the God who spoke them into existence. Centures earlier, the Lord addressed Abraham with the exact same truth regarding Sarah's barren womb, asking in Genesis 18:14, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" When human calculations reach their terminal limit, God's limitless power remains entirely unconstrained. Job 42:2 arrives at the same posture of humble reverence: "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
Because the Creator stands infinitely above His creation, He retains the absolute liberty to act according to His good pleasure. Psalms 115:3 announces that our God is in the heavens and does whatever pleases Him across the cosmic order, an assertion mirrored in Psalms 135:6, which states that whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. When Jeremiah faced impossible circumstances, the Lord reaffirmed in Jeremiah 32:27 that He is the God of all flesh, for whom nothing is too difficult. Nebuchadnezzar had to confess in Daniel 4:35 that God acts according to His will among the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand. As Jesus Himself stated in Matthew 19:26, while things may be utterly impossible with men, with God all things are possible.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 18:14 | The Lord asks Abraham whether anything is too hard for Him before promising Sarah a son. |
| Job 42:2 | Job confesses that God can do all things and no divine purpose can ever be thwarted. |
| Psalms 115:3 | God dwells in the heavens and does whatever pleases Him across the entire created order. |
| Jeremiah 32:27 | The Lord identifies Himself as the God of all flesh and asks if anything is too difficult. |
| Matthew 19:26 | Jesus affirms that while salvation is impossible with human strength, all things are possible with God. |
| Luke 1:37 | Gabriel proclaims to Mary that nothing promised by God will ever be impossible. |
| Daniel 4:35 | God does according to His will among heaven's host and earth's inhabitants; none can stay His hand. |
| Psalms 135:6 | Whatever the Lord pleases, He does in heaven, on earth, in the seas, and in all deeps. |
Signs and Wonders
Miracles Are Purposeful Signs of Sovereign Power
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believethat Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31 (NIV)
John explains that Jesus' miraculous signs were recorded intentionally so that readers would believe He is the Christ and receive life.
In John 20:30-31, the Apostle identifies the purpose of the miraculous works of Christ: these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. Miracles are not haphazard disruptions of the cosmic fabric; they are purposeful signs designed to attest divine truth and advance redemptive history. In the ancient world, God demonstrated His sovereign governance over the elements by bursting forth the fountains of the deep in Genesis 7:11, confounding human pride at Babel in Genesis 11:7, and passing between the sacrificial pieces as a flaming torch in Genesis 15:17. At the Red Sea, Exodus 14:21 shows the Lord driving back the waters to provide a dry pathway for His redeemed people.
Every miracle in Scripture displays the Maker acting directly within His world for His own glory. He made an iron axe head float against gravity in 2 Kings 6:6, prolonged the light of day in Joshua 10:12-14, and caused the shadow to retreat ten steps in 2 Kings 20:9-11. When the incarnate Son stepped into history, He manifested His glory and His disciples believed in Him by turning water into wine (John 2:11), walked upon the storm-tossed sea (Matthew 14:25-27), and silenced the howling wind with a word (Mark 4:39). As Peter declared in Acts 2:22, Jesus was attested by God through mighty works, wonders, and signs, culminating in the supreme display of divine power: His bodily resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 7:11 | The fountains of the great deep burst forth and heaven's windows opened at God's judgment. |
| Genesis 11:7 | The Lord directly intervened at Babel to confuse human speech and disperse humanity. |
| Genesis 15:17 | A smoking furnace and a flaming torch passed between the covenant animal pieces before Abraham. |
| Exodus 14:21 | The Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind to provide dry ground for Israel. |
| 2 Kings 6:6 | The man of God threw a stick into the water and made the iron axe head float. |
| Mark 4:39 | Jesus rebuked the wind and commanded the raging sea to be still, producing total calm. |
| John 2:11 | Jesus manifested His glory in Cana by turning water into wine, prompting His disciples to believe. |
| John 20:30-31 | Jesus performed many other signs so that readers might believe He is the Son of God. |
| Acts 2:22 | God attested Jesus of Nazareth through miracles, wonders, and signs performed in public view. |
| Joshua 10:12-14 | The sun stood still in the midst of heaven at God's command as He fought for Israel. |
| 2 Kings 20:9-11 | The shadow on the steps retreated ten steps as a confirming sign from the Lord. |
| Matthew 14:25-27 | Jesus walked across the water toward the disciples in the fourth watch of the night. |
| Romans 1:4 | Jesus was declared to be the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead. |
Covenantal Ordinances of Creation
God Established the Regular Order of the Natural World
This is what the LORD says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth,
Jeremiah 33:25 (NIV)
It explicitly names the fixed laws of heaven and earth as God's own instituted covenant order.
In Jeremiah 33:25, the Lord points directly to the dependable rhythms of the physical world as proof of His unfailing faithfulness: if I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob. The predictable regularity of nature is not an unbending, godless mechanism; it is a covenantal institution established and upheld by God Himself. Following the flood, Genesis 8:22 guaranteed that while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. The consistency that science investigates is grounded entirely in the steadfast character of the Creator.
God explicitly sets the boundaries that nature observes. In Job 38:8-11, He speaks of shutting in the sea with doors and commanding, "Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed." He challenges Job in Job 38:33 regarding the ordinances of the heavens and their rule over the earth, reminding man that these patterns are divine appointments. Proverbs 8:29 and Jeremiah 5:22 confirm that the Lord placed the sand as an enduring boundary for the sea, which it cannot cross despite its roaring billows. Psalms 148:5-6 declares that He established a decree that will not pass away, while Jeremiah 31:35-36 and Jeremiah 33:20-21 identify the course of the sun, moon, and stars as an unbroken covenant. When God performs a miracle, the Lord who decreed the ordinary order simply exercises His sovereign prerogative to work extraordinarily.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 8:22 | God establishes that seedtime, harvest, cold, heat, summer, winter, day, and night will not cease while earth remains. |
| Job 38:8-11 | The Lord set prescribed limits and bars for the sea so its proud waves halt. |
| Job 38:33 | God asks Job if he knows the ordinances of heaven or can establish their rule on earth. |
| Psalms 148:5-6 | God commanded and the heavenly bodies were created; He established a decree that will not pass away. |
| Proverbs 8:29 | God marked out the foundations of the earth and assigned the sea its boundary. |
| Jeremiah 5:22 | The Lord placed the sand as an everlasting boundary for the sea which it cannot pass. |
| Jeremiah 31:35-36 | The fixed order of the sun, moon, and stars is an enduring covenant established by God. |
| Jeremiah 33:20-21 | God's covenant with day and night cannot be broken, guaranteeing their proper appointed time. |
| Jeremiah 33:25-26 | God declares He established the fixed laws of heaven and earth. |
Eschatological Restoration
Miracles Herald the Cosmic Renewal and Consummation
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Romans 8:20-21 (NIV)
It shows that nature's current state of decay is temporary, and miracles point forward to its ultimate liberation.
In Romans 8:20-21, the apostle Paul reveals that creation was subjected to futility, yet it groans with eager expectation because the creation itself will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. This perspective utterly transforms how we view miracles in relation to the natural order. Rather than an unnatural intrusion or an arbitrary violation of cosmic rules, biblical miracles act as vivid heralds of creation's coming restoration, reversing the curse of decay and pointing toward the final renewal of all things. The God who intervenes is not a distant watchmaker breaking His own clockwork, but the cosmic Craftsman who in John 1:1-3 created all things through the eternal Word. When Jesus stands in the rocking boat and rebukes the tempest in Matthew 8:26-27, causing the raging winds and sea to immediately fall into a dead calm, He does not violate nature; rather, the elements recognize their Maker's voice and return to peace. Similarly, when Jesus speaks outside the grave in John 11:43-44 and commands Lazarus to come forth after four days of decay, He demonstrates His power over biological decomposition, prefiguring the ultimate triumph of life over death. Romans 8:19 confirms that the natural world awaits this very liberation from the fall. The supreme climax of this miraculous work occurs in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, where Christ's physical resurrection from the dead is proclaimed as the firstfruits of the entire harvest, inaugurating the bodily resurrection and the total renewal of creation. Every sign and wonder performed by Christ was a foretaste of the world to come, looking forward to the magnificent day prophesied in Revelation 21:1, when the former broken order passes away and God inaugurates a new heaven and a new earth where life and righteousness reign without end.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| John 1:1-3 | All things were made through the eternal Word, and without Him nothing made was made. |
| Matthew 8:26-27 | The winds and sea obey Jesus when He rebukes them, demonstrating His divine authority over natural elements. |
| John 11:43-44 | Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb after four days, reversing physical decomposition. |
| Romans 8:19-21 | Creation itself will be set free from bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God's children. |
| 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 | Christ's bodily resurrection constitutes the firstfruits of the bodily resurrection and the total renewal of creation. |
| Revelation 21:1 | John beholds the new heaven and new earth when the first heaven and earth pass away. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 6 · Genesis 1:1, Genesis 18:14, Genesis 7:11, Genesis 11:7, Genesis 15:17, Genesis 8:22 |
| Exodus | 2 · Exodus 20:11, Exodus 14:21 |
| Joshua | 1 · Joshua 10:12-14 |
| 2 Kings | 2 · 2 Kings 6:6, 2 Kings 20:9-11 |
| Nehemiah | 1 · Nehemiah 9:6 |
| Job | 3 · Job 42:2, Job 38:8-11, Job 38:33 |
| Psalms | 4 · Psalms 104:19, Psalms 115:3, Psalms 135:6, Psalms 148:5-6 |
| Proverbs | 1 · Proverbs 8:29 |
| Jeremiah | 6 · Jeremiah 32:17, Jeremiah 32:27, Jeremiah 5:22, Jeremiah 31:35-36, Jeremiah 33:20-21, Jeremiah 33:25-26 |
| Daniel | 1 · Daniel 4:35 |
| Matthew | 3 · Matthew 19:26, Matthew 14:25-27, Matthew 8:26-27 |
| Mark | 1 · Mark 4:39 |
| Luke | 1 · Luke 1:37 |
| John | 4 · John 2:11, John 20:30-31, John 1:1-3, John 11:43-44 |
| Acts | 1 · Acts 2:22 |
| Romans | 2 · Romans 1:4, Romans 8:19-21 |
| 1 Corinthians | 1 · 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 |
| Colossians | 2 · Colossians 1:16, Colossians 1:17 |
| Hebrews | 1 · Hebrews 1:3 |
| Revelation | 1 · Revelation 21:1 |
The story in order
- Creation of the cosmos (c. 1450 BC) · Genesis 1:1 · God created all things by His sovereign command.
- God establishes natural order (c. 1450 BC) · Genesis 8:22 · God established the regular cycles of seedtime, harvest, and seasons.
- God sets boundaries for the sea (c. 1450 BC) · Job 38:8-11 · The Lord prescribed limits for the sea, which it obeys.
- God's covenant with day and night (c. 700 BC) · Jeremiah 31:35-36 · The fixed order of celestial bodies is an enduring covenant.
- Jesus turns water into wine (AD 30) · John 2:11 · Jesus performed His first sign, manifesting His glory.
- Jesus calms the storm (AD 30) · Mark 4:39 · Jesus rebuked the wind and sea, showing His authority.
- Jesus raises Lazarus (AD 30) · John 11:43-44 · Jesus reversed physical decomposition by calling Lazarus forth.
- Jesus' resurrection (AD 30) · Romans 1:4 · Jesus was declared Son of God by His resurrection.
- Apostles perform signs and wonders (AD 33) · Acts 2:22 · God attested Jesus through miracles, wonders, and signs.
- New heaven and new earth (c. AD 95) · Revelation 21:1 · The first heaven and earth pass away, replaced by a new creation.
Miracles as Signs of Divine Authority
| Natural Phenomenon | Miraculous Intervention | Purpose | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea | Sea parted by wind | Deliverance of Israel | Exodus 14:21 |
| Water | Water turned to wine | Manifestation of glory | John 2:11 |
| Wind and Sea | Wind and sea calmed | Demonstration of divine authority | Mark 4:39 |
| Death | Lazarus raised from the dead | Reversal of decay | John 11:43-44 |
| Sun's movement | Sun stood still | God fought for Israel | Joshua 10:12-14 |
God's Covenantal Ordinances for Creation
| Ordinance | Description | Endurance | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedtime and Harvest | Regular cycles of planting and reaping | Will not cease while earth remains | Genesis 8:22 |
| Sea's Boundary | Prescribed limits for the sea | Cannot pass the boundary | Job 38:8-11 |
| Celestial Order | Fixed order of sun, moon, and stars | Decree will not pass away | Psalms 148:5-6 |
| Day and Night | Proper appointed times | Cannot be broken | Jeremiah 33:20-21 |
Key words
- Creator (Elohim (אֱלֹהִים))
- The divine being who brought the universe into existence. · Genesis 1:1
- Sovereign (Yhwh (יהוה))
- Possessing supreme or ultimate power and authority. · Exodus 20:11
- Natural Laws (חֻקִּים (ḥuqqîm))
- The ordinary patterns by which the Creator sustains His world. · Jeremiah 31:35
- Miracles (אוֹת (ʾōṯ))
- Extraordinary acts of God that reveal His power and purpose. · John 2:11
- Omnipotence (כֹּל (kōl))
- The state of having unlimited power; all-powerful. · Jeremiah 32:27
Recognizing that the Author of nature governs both its ordinary courses and its extraordinary wonders frees us from seeing miracles as scientific embarrassments. When Scripture records an axe head floating, a sea parting, or a tomb giving up its dead, it invites not skepticism, but reverent worship of the living Lord. The same God who upholds each beat of your heart holds the cosmos in His hands, and nothing is too hard for Him.
44 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Jeremiah 32:17
- Luke 1:37
- Jeremiah 32:27
- Genesis 18:14
- Job 42:2
- Matthew 19:26
- Exodus 20:11