devotion: faith of Mary @ wedding; asking for miracles

September 29th

Faith at the Feast

¹On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, ²and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
⁴"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
⁵His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
⁶Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
⁷Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
⁸Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
⁹They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." ¹¹This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. John 2:1-11 NIV

As I read this passage to my daughter recently, I noticed some remarkable points about faith in this story. Jesus cared about Mary and honored her request, yet it was most likely her faith that moved Jesus to respond. Mary told her servants to do whatever Jesus instructed because she believed he could solve it. She knew he could do it and he responded to that faith by performing the miracle.

The results of Mary’s faith caused more results than just the miracle itself. Her faith indirectly inspired the disciples’ faith. John mentioned that the miracle was among other signs that Jesus did that prompted the disciples to put their faith in him.

We can apply the principles in this story to our own lives. We can ask ourselves, “Am I ready to do what the Master tells me to do after I’ve asked him to perform the miracle?” While we may not be asking for wine at a feast, we might be asking for deliverance from an addiction, or the healing of a loved one, or the healing of past memories.

There will almost certainly be steps the Master requires us to take in partnership with the Holy Spirit to secure the miracle we’re seeking. Our faith, sincerity and humility will be demonstrated in our “follow through” on the instructions Jesus gives us to do. As we respond to the Master’s instructions in that follow through period, our faith in the Lord will undoubtedly impact other people around us positively. It will inspire their faith and be a witness for the Lord.

Questions for further thought:

Is there a miracle that you would like Jesus to do in your life or a loved one’s life?
What “follow-through” steps might be involved for you following such a miracle?
Are you ready to take those steps? If not, what is hindering you from doing so?
How do faith and obedience work hand in hand? (Luke 6:46, James 1:22, James 2:14-26)

Prayer:

“Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and compassion for me. Thank you for dying for me on the cross. I trust you, Lord and I believe that you are the Son of God. Please help me overcome any unbelief in my heart. If there is a miracle I am seeking, I ask for that miracle right now: _________ (specify). Lord, I am ready to do what you instruct in conjunction with this miracle. I yield my will to your will, and my body as an instrument for your purposes. Thank you, Master! I praise you now and forever! Amen.”

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