A Weekly Sabbath Miracle
By Anthony Castelbuono
I love miracles. I love to read, listen, and talk about them. When miracles happen to those close to me, the power of God becomes real. However, when I experience a miracle, the power and love of God become very real and personal. Last year, God reached down and incredibly performed two miracles for me related to my health. Earlier this year, God started doing another health miracle for me each week. My love and admiration for God is continuing to grow—His miraculous power is amazing.
Each Saturday, God does a Sabbath morning miracle for me as a type 1 diabetic. First, you must understand what happens every other day of the week. Every morning (except Sabbath), when I give myself insulin for breakfast, I have to provide myself with “extra” insulin to account for the food I eat. It doesn’t matter how much or how little I eat; I have to give myself extra insulin. Why do I have to give myself extra insulin (except for Sabbath)? It is because of the "dawn phenomenon" where blood sugar levels start naturally rising in the morning and it takes extra insulin to counteract this dawn phenomenon.
Let me share an example of how this works. Suppose I want to eat 60 carbohydrates during breakfast. I have to give myself 8 to 12 units (varies based on exercise) of insulin. Whereas, for my other meals, if I want to eat 60 carbohydrates, I would give myself 6 units of insulin. Now, the most amazing thing happens every Sabbath morning—I don’t have to give myself extra insulin! For example, if I want to eat 70 carbohydrates for breakfast, I only have to give myself 7 units of insulin. This is 2 to 6 fewer units of insulin than I normally take every other day for breakfast. On Sabbath mornings, God does this amazing special miracle—which just started earlier this year. Now, this year, more than ever before, the Sabbath is a very special day for me.
From the very beginning of this world, God intended for the seventh day to be very special for all of us. After God created Adam and Eve on the sixth day of creation, He rested. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:2-3). From the beginning of creation, the seventh day was intended to be special between us and our Maker. I believe that Adam and Eve spent their very first full day of life with their Creator—when God rested from creating and spent time with His creation.
God cannot wait to reunite with us and spend time again, in person, face to face (Revelation 22) with His creation. Soon, He will banish sin—which will never rise again (Nahum 1:9)—from the universe, and we will live with Him forever.
Maybe you're not a type 1 diabetic in need of a new pancreas or a diabetic miracle, but all of us need a heart miracle. God does His most amazing work in sinful humans when He changes someone from a life of selfishness to a life of glowing and radiating Christlikeness. Do you desire this heart miracle, this greatest miracle of all? Don’t be discouraged by where you are; focus on the One who can do anything for you (Jeremiah 32:17). God offers everyone who desires a full pardon to come to Him as we are, and He will free us from the devil’s chains of sin (Isaiah 55:7; 1 John 1:9). Anyone who desires it can experience the most amazing miracle of all.
Yes, I praise the Lord for the incredible Sabbath miracle He does in my life each Saturday morning. But, more importantly, I’m thrilled to be experiencing God’s miraculous power in helping me, day by day, reflect more of Jesus and His character to others.
Anthony Castelbuono is an HR professional and a Bible study leader in his local church in Tennessee. In 2017, he became convicted to start spending 60 minutes daily with Jesus following seven key relationship principles. In 2019, the Lord put a burden on his heart to start a magazine that prepared people to get ready for the soon return of Jesus — this burden led to the creation of www.timetogetready.org
World Church Prayer Requests
February 9 - 15, 2024
• Pray for the Christian Home and Marriage Week that will take place starting this coming Sabbath. This special week, organized by the General Conference Family Ministries Department, runs February 10-17, 2024. Pray for many to take part. For more information, visit: https://family.adventist.org/2024chmw-ads/
• Pray for those in South Korea having issues taking national exams that are on Sabbath. Pray for Public Affairs/Religious Liberty as they work to help them.
• Pray those in Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Departments, both at the General Conference and throughout the world field.
• Pray especially for the new children’s Sabbath School curriculum being developed called Alive in Jesus.
• Pray for the Adventist Review and Adventist World leadership team as they have some strategic planning meetings this week and later this month. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide their plans.