I’m often asked how I can believe incredible biblical stories in which the sun stands still, a man survives inside a sea creature, a donkey speaks, or the Red Sea is parted. Sure, these events sound incredible. In the world we live in, those aren’t everyday happenings.
As an apologist, what evidence do I have, for example, that a man survived inside a fish for three days? Frankly, I don’t have any evidence of Jonah’s miraculous tale of survival other than the report itself.
So, here’s my thinking. I don’t stress out trying to provide independent evidence for every single claim, event, or miracle in the Bible. If there’s a God who is powerful enough to make a trillion stars, craft a trillion planets, and create all of space-time out of nothing, then believing that same God can move the water He made, control the donkeys He made, and stop the sun He made is on the level of ho-hum...yawn.
This doesn’t mean I believe there’s no evidence for any miraculous stories in the Bible. For example, I believe there’s good evidence for the resurrection of Jesus and many other events. Some miracles, like Balaam’s donkey speaking for example, are extremely difficult to evaluate because it’s almost impossible to get data regarding the event. I don’t worry too much about that, though, because I believe in a God who can make amazing things happen.
Sure, making the sun stand still is an incredible feat, but it’s un-incredible to a God who made the sun and every star.
Sure, parting the Red Sea is an incredible feat, but it’s un-incredible to a God who made matter out of nothing.
My belief that the sun stood still, that a donkey spoke, or that any other amazing event in the Bible happened is based on my prior belief of God’s existence, for which I do have evidence.