SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
John 4:46-53
46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household.
‘Go,’ Jesus replied, ‘your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
John 4:50
There is one small sentence we would all do well to cling on to as we read this Gospel Story. ‘The man took Jesus at his word and departed’ (verse 50b). For many of us, taking someone at their word has not always been that easy, especially when they have let us down before. Dealing with people, we all too quickly discover that trusting people can leave us disappointed because some people do not always deliver on their promises.
This will never be true with Jesus! He can be trusted as a promise keeper. When Jesus says, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’ (John 14:6), we can be assured that his word will be fulfilled. Jesus is God, full of grace and truth from whom we have all received one blessing after another. John 14:14–17.
The result of Jesus’ intervention in the man’s life by curing his son had a profound and eternal effect. ‘So, he and his whole household believed’ verse 53. What an outcome of faithfully “taking Jesus at his word”!
When we experience an answer to our prayers, such as God’s blessing when a healing occurs, a relationship is restored, or circumstances unfold that are not by chance, but obviously by the hand of God, we have a story to tell that honors God and encourages others. Always remember, God does want what is best for us. So, “let us take Jesus at his word, and depart” into life with confidence.
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As we conclude our week of devotions, I invite you to Meditate on these promises of God listed below over the weekend, maybe memorize a couple.
Promises of God
1. God promises to strengthen you.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” (Ephesians 3:14-16 )
2. God promises to give you rest.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30)
3. God promises to take care of all your needs.
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
4. God promises to answer your prayers.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
5. God promises to work everything out for your good.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)
6. God promises to be with you
“I will not fail you or abandon you. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5, 9)
7. God promises to protect you.
“This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” (Psalm 91:2)
8. God promises freedom from sin.
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
9. God promises that nothing can separate you from Him.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
There are over 3,000 promises in scripture. I encourage to take hold unto of the promises listed above, but also, continue to search the Word of God – meditating, memorizing and praying all the promises of God that are available to us as Christ followers. As you do, I really believe you will watch God respond to your faith by fulfilling his promises in your life.
“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”
2 Corinthians 1: 20
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