"You have kept the good wine until now!"

Sunday, November 15. 2009

"Always in Prayer" Network

November 15, 2009

Tom Hoefling

In His earthly life, even Jesus had to wait on His Father's appointed times and seasons.

John 2

Water Turned to Wine

 1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.”

And they took it. 9 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. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. 

It is human nature to think that our best days are behind us. As time passes, we feel the burden of age as it encroaches. Our memories can so easily become burdened by the failures of the past. Experience, or at least our humanly-limited perception of it, tends to set like concrete in our thinking. "As things have been, so shall they ever be," we come to believe.

My friends, don't let this process of spiritual rigor mortis take control of your life and rob you of your precious birthright of love, joy and peace. Center your hope once again on the One Who loves you, and who proved it by suffering and dying for you. By faith, allow the Holy Spirit to dissolve the hardening agents that will, if you let them, turn your heart to stone. Don't settle for a cold, dead, faithless existence.

Our God is a great God, and His blessings come in His own good time. He is not limited in any way by our past. He is not limited by our failures. He is not limited by our circumstances. Christ died for our sins and His blood atonement has made us part of His eternal family.

As Christians, in faith we should know with complete certainty that no matter what has come before, the best is yet to come. Our LORD has made many great promises to us of eternal glory and blessing, which will be fulfilled on His exacting timetable.

But, God may well have amazing blessings awaiting you in this world as well. Noah, Abraham and Moses were all quite elderly when God did His greatest works through them. Ronald Reagan was older than any other President when he was sworn into office, and went on to be modern America's greatest leader, the indispensable man in the fight against communist tyranny.

Seek God diligently about what He would have you be and do while He still has you here upon this earth. He is faithful to His Word, and He will show you.

James 1:5

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Isaiah 40:31

31 But those who wait on the LORD

      Shall renew their strength;

      They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

      They shall run and not be weary,

      They shall walk and not faint.

No matter where you now find yourself, remember this: God loves you and He has a plan for your life.

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Expectant hope and faith will produce abundant love and joy in your heart and will then have marvelous results in your life. You will then be what God intended you to be: a vessel and a channel of His blessing in the lives of those around you.

Nehemiah 8:10

¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Psalm 36

 ¹ An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:

         There is no fear of God before his eyes.

 ² For he flatters himself in his own eyes,

         When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.

 ³ The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;

         He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

 ⁴ He devises wickedness on his bed;

         He sets himself in a way that is not good;

         He does not abhor evil.

  ⁵ Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;

         Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

 ⁶ Your righteousness is like the great mountains;

         Your judgments are a great deep;

         O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

 ⁷ How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

         Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

 ⁸ They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

         And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

 ⁹ For with You is the fountain of life;

         In Your light we see light.

 ¹⁰ Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,

         And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

 ¹¹ Let not the foot of pride come against me,

         And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

 ¹² There the workers of iniquity have fallen;

         They have been cast down and are not able to rise.