Right now I'm contemplating a Savior who came to redeem a vast, lost world, a Savior who was not only fully man but was fully, completely Almighty God. A Savior who created all, knew all, and could do all... and yet a Savior whose very first miracle was changing some water into wine at a small family wedding. (John 2:1-11) Seriously?? Really, what was the big deal?--they had run out of wine. So the bridegroom's family might be humiliated. So the guests might be disappointed. So the wedding reception might be sadly curtailed--well, life isn't always fair or fun, right? Just one of those things. Their fault, anyway, since they obviously miscalculated and failed to buy enough wine. Who cares?
Not me. Not you. Probably not anybody at that time... except the bridal party.
And God.
Think about it: the Almighty Lord of the heavens and the earth cared enough about a paltry little wedding in a dusty little nothing of a town in an insignificant little occupied country to perform His very first miracle. The Lord Jesus expended His supernatural energy and effort and time changing some stale water into sublime, perfect wine. His very first miracle on this planet: changing water into wine... at an everyday commonplace wedding for regular old folks. Like you and me.
I've often wondered about this. And sure, there was certainly a deep spiritual significance: the water represented the old guard, the old way. The old order of religious life that meant trying and trying and trying to obey the Ten Commandments, perform the sacrifices, and do all that the Jews believed God required. The new wine symbolized Jesus' new way: the new way made possible by Christ which begins with a new birth, spiritually being born again. And the result would be the abundant life, abundant joy. Wine in the Old Testament symbolized joy. This new wine, this new birth meant joy and new life.
All that is absolutely true and wonderful. But you know what? Just about as wonderful is the fact that the Sovereign of the Universe, the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, cared about something so commonplace and ordinary and, in the big scheme of things, unimportant. Well, unimportant to you and to me and to about every other person who has ever walked on this planet... except those few ordinary individuals at that little wedding.
We don't know their names. We don't know their story. We don't even know how they responded to Jesus' miracle. In fact, it's probable they never even knew that God was in their midst. And it's possible, even likely, that they never knew that God-man had performed a miracle at their wedding. They probably never knew and never thanked Him for His kindness and compassion... that was just for them. Just because He loved them. Just because that is who He was.. and is... and always will be.
The God who cares about the big... and the small. The God who is concerned with the significant events that shape the course of history... and the tiny, insignificant, routine moments of our ordinary days. The God who loves to surprise and bless His own in the great and the tiny. The God who sees us and knows us and loves us extravagantly, no matter our place or position or potential (or lack thereof!). "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel." (Zech.4:10)
O how I thank Him that He does not despise the day of small things! For my life is comprised of such small things, small tasks, small abilities, small faith, small hope. He takes those small things and transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, the chaos into His calm, the hopeless into hope-filled, the sorrowful into singing. Who could not love and worship such a Savior? Our Savior who cares about and redeems even the smallest.
Have you thanked Him today for the small things, the "little" blessings in your life? The hot water, the warm sun, the cool breeze? How about the sweet old dog sitting at your feet or the eyes that can read these words or the loads of laundry that represents an abundance of love and purpose in your life? Have you thanked Him for His Word that guides and encourages and convicts? Or that friend you ran into or that gift of laughter or that deep breath you just took? How has He intervened in your life today in a million unseen, unnoticed, and unremembered ways... but each supernatural intervention blessing you in the midst of your ordinary day? Do we notice? Have we thanked Him? Will we choose gratitude over grumbling because of an extraordinary God moving in the midst of our ordinary day?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way:
"Thankfulness works in the Christian community as it usually does in the Christian life. Only those who give thanks for the little things receive the great things as well. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts prepared for us because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think that we should not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be seeking the great gifts. Then we complain that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experiences that God has given to other Christians, and we consider these complaints to be pious. We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the small (and yet really not so small!) gifts we receive daily. How can God entrust great things to those who will not gratefully receive the little things from God's hand?"
Thank You Lord for the big and the small, the splashy and the subtle, blessings in our lives. Give us eyes to see and hearts to be grateful for your goodness and greatness even in our most ordinary days. To the God of the great and the glorious, as well as the infinitesimal and the insignificant, be all the glory.
Not me. Not you. Probably not anybody at that time... except the bridal party.
And God.
Think about it: the Almighty Lord of the heavens and the earth cared enough about a paltry little wedding in a dusty little nothing of a town in an insignificant little occupied country to perform His very first miracle. The Lord Jesus expended His supernatural energy and effort and time changing some stale water into sublime, perfect wine. His very first miracle on this planet: changing water into wine... at an everyday commonplace wedding for regular old folks. Like you and me.
I've often wondered about this. And sure, there was certainly a deep spiritual significance: the water represented the old guard, the old way. The old order of religious life that meant trying and trying and trying to obey the Ten Commandments, perform the sacrifices, and do all that the Jews believed God required. The new wine symbolized Jesus' new way: the new way made possible by Christ which begins with a new birth, spiritually being born again. And the result would be the abundant life, abundant joy. Wine in the Old Testament symbolized joy. This new wine, this new birth meant joy and new life.
All that is absolutely true and wonderful. But you know what? Just about as wonderful is the fact that the Sovereign of the Universe, the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, cared about something so commonplace and ordinary and, in the big scheme of things, unimportant. Well, unimportant to you and to me and to about every other person who has ever walked on this planet... except those few ordinary individuals at that little wedding.
We don't know their names. We don't know their story. We don't even know how they responded to Jesus' miracle. In fact, it's probable they never even knew that God was in their midst. And it's possible, even likely, that they never knew that God-man had performed a miracle at their wedding. They probably never knew and never thanked Him for His kindness and compassion... that was just for them. Just because He loved them. Just because that is who He was.. and is... and always will be.
The God who cares about the big... and the small. The God who is concerned with the significant events that shape the course of history... and the tiny, insignificant, routine moments of our ordinary days. The God who loves to surprise and bless His own in the great and the tiny. The God who sees us and knows us and loves us extravagantly, no matter our place or position or potential (or lack thereof!). "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel." (Zech.4:10)
O how I thank Him that He does not despise the day of small things! For my life is comprised of such small things, small tasks, small abilities, small faith, small hope. He takes those small things and transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, the chaos into His calm, the hopeless into hope-filled, the sorrowful into singing. Who could not love and worship such a Savior? Our Savior who cares about and redeems even the smallest.
Have you thanked Him today for the small things, the "little" blessings in your life? The hot water, the warm sun, the cool breeze? How about the sweet old dog sitting at your feet or the eyes that can read these words or the loads of laundry that represents an abundance of love and purpose in your life? Have you thanked Him for His Word that guides and encourages and convicts? Or that friend you ran into or that gift of laughter or that deep breath you just took? How has He intervened in your life today in a million unseen, unnoticed, and unremembered ways... but each supernatural intervention blessing you in the midst of your ordinary day? Do we notice? Have we thanked Him? Will we choose gratitude over grumbling because of an extraordinary God moving in the midst of our ordinary day?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way:
"Thankfulness works in the Christian community as it usually does in the Christian life. Only those who give thanks for the little things receive the great things as well. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts prepared for us because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think that we should not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be seeking the great gifts. Then we complain that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experiences that God has given to other Christians, and we consider these complaints to be pious. We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the small (and yet really not so small!) gifts we receive daily. How can God entrust great things to those who will not gratefully receive the little things from God's hand?"
Thank You Lord for the big and the small, the splashy and the subtle, blessings in our lives. Give us eyes to see and hearts to be grateful for your goodness and greatness even in our most ordinary days. To the God of the great and the glorious, as well as the infinitesimal and the insignificant, be all the glory.
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