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MY FAVORITE NEW TESTAMENT STORY

I think most, if not all Christians have their own favorite Bible stories. My favorite in the New Testament is the following; it’s found in John chapter four, verses forty-six through fifty-three.

“So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told [him], saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.  So the father knew that [it was] at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”

ALL AVENUES EXHAUSTED

I believe parents will agree with me that this father had tried all avenues open to him for the healing of his son. From the medical profession to homeopathic remedies; possibly, even some quack cures. All doors were closed and locked to him. He was literally “shut-up unto the faith.” He was at his Red Sea with no place to turn.

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES

There seems to be a principle in the scripture: God loves it when His children come to the end of themselves. When all hope is taken away. When there is no man to help. Someone has written—

“God is a tower without a stair

And His perfection loves despair.”

A THOUGHT THAT HAS HELPED ME

From our scriptural story, God gave me a little saying that has helped me these many years.

“Act as though it were, And you’ll experience it as it is.”

NO MAGICAL BOOK

Paul tells us the Word of God works effectually in them that believe. There is nothing magical about the Word. Wishing will get you nowhere, believing it will take you a long way.

DON’T LET THE WEAKNESS OF THE FLESH TROUBLE YOU

You can have a weak flesh with a strong faith, look at Abraham’s life of faith. He staggered on the outside but the inner-man stood strong. The wise man declares, “The root of the righteous shall not be moved”. The storms can bow the limbs, but never the root. Like a buoy, you may be tossed to and fro on the surface, but underneath it is steadfast!  “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.”

"At the end of self...you’ll find God.”

(rds)