Isaiah 55: 8-9 NKJV
I've learned something recently, possibly something I've already known perhaps. It would seem that, despite my best efforts, my view of time is skewed compared to Gods. See, in Gods realm, time essentialy has no ending. That doesn't play too well in our here and now, where we expect everything to be on our schedule. I admit, I often wonder if God really is listening or if he just takes a message and gets back to me later when he has more time. Then I see the truth of Isaiah 55:8 and my eyes are once again opened. It is foolish of me to even venture to think that this very same God who loved me enough to send his own son to die for me, would even consider ignoring me. That's just not in the nature of a loving God. Yet, when we humans are faced with circumstances where we definately feel we can't take another step, it is THEN that God will remind us of his presence.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to deal with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the begining sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"
John 2: 1-10 NKJV
How close can you get? Here the guests at this wedding in Cana were faced with that dilema of running out of wine during a wedding celebration! Now, if you don't know anything about these celebrations in Jewish culture, they could last about 3 to 7 days! In fact, being caught without wine could have brought shame upon the host of said celebration. So, it is against this backdrop that Jesus' mother comes to her son for help. I love Jesus' response to her request, "Woman, what does your concern have to deal with Me? My hour has not yet come." WHAT? Here was his own mother asking for his help! Jesus' timing was not based on ours, the God clock. Despite this, it is here we see the first of many miracles of our Lord.
In spite of all that is swirling around us, we do well remember that our Lord has only good intentions for us. Not only that, but he will reveal them in his perfect timing! In this microwave speed world in which we live, we want a resolution NOW! Our hurts, confusion and stress are highly personal to each of us. At times, we shout out to Jesus, "Lord, we have no wine!" As always, calm in the midst of our chaos, Jesus gently tells us, "Be still, my time has not yet come." I recently shared a word of encouragement with a dear friend at my mothers memorial service. This woman had suffered the same loss I was dealing with, the loss of her mother. Through her tears, she mentioned that she wasn't quite ready to stop grieving just yet. I understood, having experienced the same feelings as she was. I gave her the best advice I could, "There IS NO time limit on our grief!" Indeed I know that, as in my own grief, our loving God will release us from our grief in his timing. Funny, I can almost hear those words of our Lord Jesus, "My time has not yet come."
~Scott~
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