“Miracles are not ends in and of themselves but are signposts pointing beyond themselves to the God who creates miracles.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 28, 2022
The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household. John 4:49-53, NKJV
Throughout the Gospels, time and time again we encounter the Lord Jesus creating miraculous moments of healing and restoration, revealing the true nature of the world and the coming of his new kingdom. To a people conditioned to believe that creation was defined by death and decay, Jesus showed them a world of life and renewal of body, mind, and spirit. In a similar way, as followers of the risen Christ, we are daily invited into a world in which death does not have the final say and is trampled down by the power of the cross and empty tomb.
In John 4, we encounter a father who is desperate to see his sick son healed and saved from death. What parent cannot relate to the cries of this father’s heart? Few sorrows in this world are greater than a parent weeping over the suffering of their child. The pleading and urgency in his voice can be heard even now, thousands of years in the future. Though the details may vary person to person, each of us can place ourselves in this man’s shoes, bringing our deepest longings and hopes, fears and anxieties to the feet of Jesus, begging him to help.
As powerful as Jesus’ miracle of saving the boy from death truly is, we must also see that this story is given to us by St. John to point us to an even greater miracle. The healing of the boy is a single moment of grace that led an entire family into a life of discipleship and unwavering fidelity to Jesus Christ. Miracles are not ends in and of themselves, but are signposts pointing beyond themselves to the God who creates miracles. This nobleman had faith and believed the word Jesus spoke to him, yet this is not the climax of the story. What is, you may ask? “And he himself believed, and his whole household” (John 4:53).
If your desire to see God work in your life is separated from an even deeper longing to know him and live as a faithful disciple, you’ve accepted the gifts and ignored the giver. Yet if we are able to see the work of God in our world today as an invitation into the life of his kingdom, then each moment of grace and divine act of kindness is able to move us deeper and deeper into true communion with him, for it is there that we find our lasting peace and our eternal home.
Prayer
Father, help us to follow you as faithful disciples, believing in the power of Christ at work in us and trusting him all the days of our lives. Amen.
Application
Are there ways you have desired the power of God in your life yet separated it from a life lived in his presence?
Related Reading
Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 41:10; Romans 8:28
Worship Resource
Jesus Culture: Miracles
Donate
If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider a donation to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision.
Download our app!
