Bible Ballistics: BBs #309 Messages From Heaven! #7

 

We looked last time at the “Woman at the well”, and saw our Lord Jesus gently open the eyes of a woman to see Him for who He was/is, and bring her to a place of faith/belief. The truth is, it is all of God that we ever come to see Jesus. Salvation is of God, provided by God and initiated by God—it’s never been our idea! God convicts the hearts of men and women every day, and like the parable of the sower and the seed from Matthew 13, the seed falls on all kinds of ground (hearts of men) but not all will respond. Each one has the freedom to choose God or reject/ignore Him, but we cannot pick the consequences of our choices.

As we wrap up our look at John 4, we find one who had to choose whether or not to believe Jesus.

“So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.

And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee,

he went unto him,

and besought him

that he would come down,

and heal his son:

for he was at the point of death.

48 Then said Jesus unto him,

Except ye see signs and wonders,

ye will not believe.

49 The nobleman saith unto him,

Sir, come down

ere my child die.

50 Jesus saith unto him,

Go thy way;

thy son liveth.

And the man believed the word

that Jesus had spoken unto him,

and he went his way.

51 And as he was now going down,

his servants met him, and told him, saying,

Thy son liveth.

52 Then enquired he of them the hour

when he began to amend.

And they said unto him, Yesterday

at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53 So the father knew

that it was at the same hour,

in the which Jesus said unto him,

Thy son liveth:

and himself believed, and his whole house.”    John 4:46-53

Like many of us, this man was concerned about the welfare of his child. He had heard of this traveling Rabbi, who could heal and do miracles, so he went to request His presence to heal His son. How often do we plead with Jesus to “come and do…..” something for us? While there is nothing wrong with asking Jesus to meet our needs, in fact scripture commands that we who believe are to bring our cares to HIM; there is a right way to come and a wrong way to come! Check out Genesis 4 and you’ll find a perfect contrast of the two choices. But we can come to God with every thing.

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

This is the message that I want us to focus on today, for there is a lesson that we can learn about depending on God. When people come to God it is usually in one of two ways—there are those who come to God as a “giant slot machine in the sky”; they put in their coin, pull the handle and wait for “God” to supply the “jackpot” of there demands. And there are also people who come to God in recognition of who HE IS, and open their hearts to God with their grief, sorrow, fear, and needs, whatever they might be, knowing that God IS God and we can not only trust Him to meet our needs, but to meet them in the best way possible when we but leave it to HIM!

In this account we have a father, burdened for his sick child, yet Jesus, having just returned from his visit to Samaria, seems to be a bit ‘short’ with this man. Was Jesus rebuking him for coming? I don’t think so, but I do think Jesus was reminding him, and us, that He is not our magic genie, or a grandfather in the sky, who jumps at our command. Jesus The Son of God, God the Father and the Holy Spirit are GOD, and we are to come to HIM as such. Jesus seems to be calling us to believe in WHO HE IS not just what HE does! And responding to this father, Jesus simply says, “Go home, your child is healed!” No fanfare, no magic wand waving, no ‘let’s run to your house’—instead this God/Man simply speaks and now the choice is up to this father.

What will he do? Will he accept what Jesus has said as truth, and just go home to see, or will he balk, pout, or demand of Jesus ‘immediate’ action? How does real faith respond? Just as this man did—no matter how afraid or uncertain he may have been—who took Jesus at His word, went to his home and found the Master to be faithful! On his way home, his servants came to tell him the good news, and he inquired as to the time of the child’s turn-around. Upon realizing that it was the very time that Jesus had spoken, the man’s faith was reinforced in assurance and he was able to share his faith in Jesus with his household. He found that the smallest act of faithful obedience grows.

God is calling us to walk in obedience—even when we can’t see the end. We are to pray believing, and to work the “works of Him” who calls us, and sends us to a lost and dying world. We must trust that God IS God, that He is working all things “for our good”, and as we pray (ask, seek and knock), we are to remember the basics of prayer.

“After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father

which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done

in earth,

as it is in heaven.”   Matthew 6:9-10

Don’t miss the point:         Thy name–

Thy kingdom come–

Thy will be done.

THY kingdom, not mine. THY will not mine. May we be willing to rest in the arms of the ONE who knows, hears and supplies.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” 1 John 5:14

So seek, ask, knock and keep on with faith in the One who hears, and leave the answers to Him. They may not always be what we wanted or expected, but it will always be the BEST “……. for he careth for you.” Amen and Amen! And that my friends, is the best news heaven could send!