Be It Unto Me

Last Sunday after worship I asked a gal who is graduating from college this month what she was planning to do next. She said she had several options and added: "Just like your husband preached about today, I'm giving it to God and waiting to see where He leads."

How wonderful to have the confidence in God that He is in control. I heard it in Ayla's voice yesterday when she commented that her car was making strange noises. She said, "Please pray my car holds on. After this wisdom teeth surgery I have little money to my name right now. Just taking it day by day and hoping the car makes it. God has this." She knew God was in control.

This Christmas season we can look at Joseph and Mary and see their confidence that God had everything firmly in His hands, as my friend Rhona reminded me yesterday. Mary saying, "Be it unto me according to Your word, O Lord" (Luke 1:38) when the angel told her she will give birth to the Son of the Most High. Joseph taking a pregnant woman as his wife after a visit from the angel of the Lord in his dream. Both fleeing to Egypt after a warning in another dream. God had it in control, and they were obedient to Him.

That is our advice to you this day: that you remember who is in control and walk in obedience to His direction. The Father knows what will happen today and what will happen in the future. He knows the path you need to take to grow ever closer like and to Him. He knows what challenges are ahead. He knows your joys. He's got it all. Job 12:10 says: "In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." In Proverbs 16:9 it says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Ephesians 1:11 says, "In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will." Isaiah 14:24 says, "The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand." 

Twila Paris sings in one of my favorite songs "God Is In Control:"

This is no time for fear
This is the time for faith and determination
Don't lose the vision here carried away by the motion
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together
God is in control

Knowing that God has it all in His control as part of His plan is comforting, so going to Him in prayer to ask for guidance and then acting in obedience to it is essential and, frankly, wise.

Every major decision we've had to make as a couple we went to God about. Every job change, every move, tragic circumstances, major purchases ... we wanted to make sure we were acting in obedience and following His plan for our lives. He hasn't failed us yet and promises us He will not.

Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse commonly found on graduation cards. It says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope," but it's Jeremiah 29:12-13 that completes the statement: "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Want to know what God has planned? Ask Him. He will show the way. Scripture tells us in Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'” So don't forget to ask, listen ... and obey. Then be amazed and give Him the glory. As it says in Exodus 9:16, "But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth." 

Discussion: Share a time when you heard an answer to prayer about what you should do next in your life. Are there questions you have now for your future? How has God amazed you in guiding your life?

Prayer: Father, we are so thankful You have our lives in Your hands. Help us, Father, listen closely to Your direction and follow Your will. We pray we wiill glorify Your name in this journey of life. In Jesus, Amen.

Poured Out

Did you know that Jesus' first miracle was at a wedding? Recorded by John in the second chapter of the gospel, he tells of his first-hand observance where Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding reception. Everyone is having a grand time drinking wine at the wedding feast, and it runs out. His mom, Mary, sees that there's no more wine and goes to her son, whom she knows is God, to tell Him about it. And Christ's response is classic. He says in verse 4, "What concern is that to you and me? My hour has not yet come." It's like He's saying, "Seriously, you are asking Me to do a miracle for this? I am just starting this ministry, just now gathering disciples and you want Me to get more wine or even make it? That is not why I'm here. It's not my job. It's not my time." (Makes you wonder what she observed Him do prior to this event.) But here's the beautiful part. This story is bathed in symbolism, literally. First, the jars Christ asks the servants to fill with water are stone jars used in ritual washing for the Jews. This ceremonial washing was to cleanse and purify the Jews prior to meals and worship. And these jars were big, holding upwards of 30 gallons of

water. Christ asks for six of these to be filled. Then He just asks the servant to draw some out and take it to the chief steward. Imagine the bravery of the servant carrying a cup of what was originally water to his boss for a taste. Then imagine his surprise that is was the best wine ever. Think about the number of people that day who learned what happened there. You can hear the whispers: "Psst, I heard Mary's son, the carpenter, magically transformed this water into wine. Not even kidding." Christ, in this one act, was announcing to all the people at that wedding (many who were probably drunk with wine at this point), "Hey, look what I can do" with a more poignant "See Who I Am." The fact that He used jars for ritual cleansing and changed it into wine, you can see the symbolism and preview of His saying at the Last Supper (recorded in Luke 22:20), "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for many." They would not need stone jars for ritual cleansing anymore. Christ had it covered.

We know you both love wine (and have the cork collection to prove it). As cuisiniers, you know what wines enhance other foods to make them taste even better. And obviously Christ loved it, too, enough to make it an example and symbol of His great sacrifice for all time. We love that Christ chose (even if his mom nudged Him to do it) a wedding, a sacred event and union symbolic of His marriage to the church, to introduce Himself as Savior. And it was this first miracle that convinced the men who recently decided to follow him (John, Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel and Phillip in John 1) that they were following the right Rabbi. John 2:11 says, "Jesus did this, the first of His signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."

Christ has revealed His glory, and we believe. Pouring His life out for ours and rising from the dead, glory to Him.

Now don't count on Christ changing any water into wine at your wedding reception. But you can count on this: no matter what you do in this life, no matter what mistakes you make in your relationship together, He has it covered.

Discussion: What impresses you most about this first miracle at the wedding in Cana? Just for fun, what kind of wine do you think Christ turned it into? How important is the symbolism of wine to Christ's blood to you? Is communion a possibility at your wedding? What kinds of wine will you have at your reception?

Prayer: Father, we thank you for your Son, for His sacrifice for us and most importantly that He conquered death that we can be brought to you pure and holy. Thank you for Him and the beautiful symbol of the wine at the wedding in Cana. In name of the True Vine (John 15:5), Amen.