Thinking back over the past few articles (from John 4:40-5:14), what can we take away for our own walk, today, from these narratives from Jesus’ ministry? I’d like to offer a few thoughts as reminders:
Let’s not only believe in what God has done for us, but also trust Him at His word. We might be called to step out and do something without knowing how it will work out, but when God says to do something, we sometimes need to act before we see what He has in mind, or before we have results to prove that His plan will work out.
Let’s remember that some people who are hurting need help before they are ready to hear the good news about Jesus Christ. We can still serve them in Jesus’ name (to help heal their bodies, minds, and hearts) until the Holy Spirit guides us to share spiritual messages with them.
Let’s make sure that our faith is in the God who is loving, faithful, and powerful. Lesser things that we can put our faith in are likely to let us down.
Remember, faith in something that can’t live up to our expectations is fairly useless. If I have faith that a leaky boat will hold up on the lake, I’m going to get wet. If I were to have faith in my own ability to live a perfect life and stand before a holy God to tell Him that He has to let me into Heaven because I am good enough, I should prepare to be disappointed.
On the other hand, faith that our powerful, loving God will be faithful to His promises is always fulfilled. When God pronounces something, and we act in confidence that He will fulfill His promise, we are always vindicated in our faith. It might take a while (depending on His timeline), but we can make decisions and act upon His promises before we hear of their completion, knowing that they will happen.
Let’s also obey God’s commands, and not let ourselves get tied down with new rules that people make up, or issues that critics have with us. While constructive feedback – from both God and His people – can be useful, there are times when we need to set aside what people think, and do the right thing that God tells us to.
In addition to those things, I think that a key lesson here is for us to not try to prescribe God’s solutions, even as we ask Him for what is on our heart.
- The father of the sick son in Capernaum wanted Jesus to come to his son to heal him. Instead, Jesus spoke a word and the son was healed.
- The man who was lame in Jerusalem wanted to get into the pool to be healed. Instead, Jesus healed him without needing a dip in the water.
In the same way, we can certainly ask for healing or guidance or comfort, but let’s give God room to work. Imagine waiting and watching down an airport corridor for a family member to get home, and missing the fact that they arrived through another hallway and are standing right behind you! Both in things that we ask for, and in blessings that we didn’t even think to request, God may be acting in another way from what we expect, which we can miss if we’re too focused on the solution that we (in our human limitations) came up with.
Paul, in a letter to the church in Ephesus, wrote an important reminder for us.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV
Some might say, “Well, I can imagine a lot!” If that’s you, I encourage you to think of the biggest, most infinite and impossible thing that you think God could do for you. Got it? Good.
Now, read the verses from Ephesians again. God can do “immeasurably more” than that!
Think about that the next time you ask Him to do something small, or to just “get by”. Think about that the next time you are tempted to tell Him how to resolve your problems. Think about that when you learn something new about Him or His creation. Trust me: He’s got this.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 11, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, February 11, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – John, by Beauford H. Bryant and Mark S. Krause. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 