Water into Wine

Yesterday's sermon was from John 2, where Jesus turns water into wine. We were studying the passage, learning how Jesus was willing to reveal His power in order to increase the faith of those around Him, and how He really is into the details of our lives. If The God of Heaven cares about the small things like our food and drink, certainly He also cares about our day to day problems, our grumbling, our heart issues, and our broken places.

This tiny miracle of turning bad, undrinkable water, into the very best wine, was really not tiny at all, because it reveals God's heart for His people: Our problems are not too small for Him to notice. Our needs are not insignificant to Him, and He knows exactly what we need for our faith to be encouraged and grown.

.

I'm in a place of waiting right now, and to be honest, the waiting hurts.

After losing my Mom, I've been begging God for healing. Begging Him to help my Dad, restore the joy in our lives, give us strength to keep living, give us a renewed purpose. I've been crying out to Him for 2 months now, and I see so very little change. We're all still breathing and going about our lives, but there's an emptiness inside that just can't be ignored. Our hearts are broken, and we need the touch of our Savior.

I think that may be what hurts the most: I know God is able, but for whatever reason, He's just not willing to act right now.

I know all it would take for our hearts to be healed is one simple word, one breath, one touch of His hand…but for now, God is withholding Himself. He's telling us to wait. Requiring that we walk through this pain and suffering, and refusing to take away our pain. I know God is here in the details, but He feels so very far away.

.

As Christians, we have to be OK with feeling far away from God, but knowing that we aren't. We have to be able to filter life, and all of life's problems, through the truth of who we KNOW God to be. We have to examine scripture, examine the life of Jesus, and come to a place where we know Who our God really is, and what He is capable of, and we have to learn to trust it. To know Jesus intimately, and trust Who He is, and Who He says He will be.

I know my God is able to take away every pain, to heal every wound, and to make every wrong right. I know He is here with us now in our suffering, and I know He could take it away in an instant if He wanted to. I know He is kind and loving and just. I know He is merciful, present, and good. And it's because I know these things, that my heart also knows deep down that one day God will reveal His plan, and heal our hearts.

I can keep holding on, keep praying for my own miracle, because I know God is listening, and I know He sees me. He is here in our details, and He knows the condition we are in, and I know that one day, He will take our bad, and make it good. He will turn our water into wine, and deliver blessing out of our pain.