Several inadequate definitions of miracles need to be rejected: 1. Some define a miracle as a direct intervention of God into the world. But “intervention…into” implies that God is outside the world and only occasionally intrudes. 2. Some define a miracle as God working in the world apart from means to bring about the desired result. But God often uses “means” or “instruments” in performing the miraculous, as in the case of Jesus' feeding of the 5,000. 3. Others define a miracle as God acting contrary to natural law. But this implies there are forces (“natural laws”) which operate independently of God, forces or laws that God must violate or override to perform a miracle. God is the author and providential Lord over all natural processes.