“Whatever Jesus says to you, ‘Do it.’” John 2:5. NKJV.
Ordinary things produce extraordinary results when done with faith and obedience.
My thoughts and comments today are about “miraculous moments.”
In the course of one’s life, there will be times when you won’t know everything you need to know or have everything you need to have. In those uncomfortable times, you will need access to knowledge, wisdom, abilities, or provision that God alone can supply. In just such a circumstance, Jesus began His public ministry. Read John 2:1-11. In both celebrations and complications, life is best when Jesus in invited and people of faith are included.
You are probably familiar with the miracle of Jesus changing ordinary water into extraordinary wine. At Cana, a wedding celebration was almost spoiled by unintended and unforeseen lack. We are not told the cause of the insufficiency, but the unthinkable happened; their joyous celebration ran out of wine. The host must have felt embarrassed as well as helpless. At moments, life may feel like that to you or someone you know and love. Life doesn’t happen the way you plan, but miracles happen when you believe. Your material as well as emotional resources can become inadequate, leaving you depleted and your joy marginalized by events. At such times, God is your answer. In every situation, God’s Word has wisdom and direction for a miracle of provision when and where needed.
Mary, Jesus’ mother, provides a pattern for such moments. Mary brought the problem to the One she knew would care and could help. Life is not as complicated when you include God. Without explanation, she simply said to the servants, “Whatever Jesus says to you, ‘Do it.’” In response, Jesus instructed the servants, “’Fill the jars with water,’ so they filled them to the brim.” John 2:6-7 NIV. To their credit as servants, without explanation they did exactly as Jesus directed. In every situation, that is also and always your best recourse, “Whatever He says to you, ‘Do it.’”
In a recent conversation about this, my friend, Amos, asked an interesting question. “On the occasion in Cana, when did the actual, transformative miracle occur turning water into wine?” Though I do not claim to know more than what John wrote of the story itself, I found my friend’s question intriguing as regards the nature of miracles. Though my understanding is partial, miracles involve both divine and human elements. Obviously, a miracle requires the sovereign providence and power of God, foremost and utmost; man’s efforts are insufficient. Still, the simple faith and obedience of an individual is usually required.
There seems to be two possible times when this wondrous miracle could have occurred. Jesus gave the servants two clear instructions: (1) fill the water pots with water, and (2) serve that to the host. To me, the one that required the greatest faith seems most likely to have produced the miraculous moment. To fill the water pots required obedience but not any particular measure of faith. Read John 2:8-10 NIV. Serving the host of the feast what minutes before they had known to be only ordinary water, that takes courage; such obedience requires courageous faith, though faith and logic rarely align.
Ordinary things produce extraordinary results when done with faith and obedience. In my estimation, the miraculous moment more likely occurred when the servants were willing to pour into the host’s glass what Jesus had blessed. The servants’ obedience to do so without any prior assurance is remarkable. Miracles await servants who are willing to obey and able to believe. What was the result? “You have saved the best for last!” Your God does the most with the least and saves the best for last. I call such times miraculous moments. God has such moments for those who obey.
Today, my prayer for you is to discover that God’s best awaits the simplest faith and obedience.