Levels Of Obedience III

“When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” John 2:3-5 [NIV]

You cannot get beyond your level of obedience. Please read John 2:1-5. It is the story of Jesus in the marriage at Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother said to Jesus, they don’t have wine and Jesus says, it is not my business. But His mother goes and says to the servants, whatever he tells you to do, do it! Do what? Do whatever He tells you to do and she probably walked away. Then Jesus said to the servants, fill the vessels with water. The servants went to get the vessels themselves and filled it with water, right? Now if I were one of the servants, I will be super excited because I am thinking, what is He going to do next? I am playing out the different scenarios of how Jesus is going to turn the water to wine. Maybe He will call out to the water to become wine, or shake Himself and smite the water and it will become wine. So while I am pouring the water in the vessel, I am eyeballing Jesus and thinking, ‘today, I am going to see what you are going to do’. And Jesus did not do anything; Jesus did not do anything dramatic. Jesus just said take the water to the chairman. And if you were to look at this in the natural, you would think that is so dumb. I went to fill this vessel and what is in it is water! Now you are telling me to take this water and serve it as wine? Who will loose his head, is it not the person that delivers the message? But Mary said, whatever He tells you to do – do it! It doesn’t need to make sense! Sometimes God doesn’t make sense, just do it! So the servants must have remembered the words of Mary and maybe there was someone like me among them who even though he struggled but he remembered, whatever He says you should do, you do it. And as they took the water to the chairman, the water became wine because whatever He says to do – do it [story from John 2:1-5 translated]. God gives you a specific way to build your life and your family? Just do it!

In 2 kings 5 [please read], Naaman a general with leprosy came to meet Elisha with a letter from the king of Israel. Elisha didn’t go out to meet him but sent this message, go and dip yourself in the Jordan seven times. Naaman being a general understood protocol and was offended because Elisha did not accord him respect he believed he deserved. Naaman himself said I thought he would come out and call on his God. And he was about to go away angry and that would have probably led to a war. But one of his officers said, sir if the prophet had come out and chanted would you not have believed? In other words, whatever he says to you, just do it! And you know what happens next, right?

Thought: You cannot get beyond your level of obedience.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help me respond immediately and obediently to Your promptings, in Jesus Name.