Monday, April 28, 2008

I'm still in the book of John, slowly but surely making my way through it. I've started leaving my Bible on my nightstand, open to the page I need to read so that in the morning I will be excuseless as to why I can't possibly find the energy to open it up.

I know that this is incredibly cliche, and that these days calling something cliche is cliche... however, this was a story that I've read several times before, and for some reason, today it was like news to me.

I'm in John 4:43-54, Jesus Heals an Official's Son (I read a sub-heading at a time, no matter how long or short it is). This is the time when Jesus was walking through Galilee, and a government official who had heard about the whole water into wine incident came to Jesus asking for him to heal his son.

49 The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

50 Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. (nlt)

It just kind of hit me: If I had been the father of the sick boy, I would have begged Jesus to come back with me. Pleaded, got down on my knees, and wailed. I wonder how badly that man wanted Jesus to actually go with him, to physically touch his son, to take some kind of tangible action.

But, in the end, the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

There comes a point in every prayer where you have to say, "Okay God, I trust you"; where you have to get up, and go out. I love that Jesus wants us to take risks with him, and to get up and go out not knowing how it's all going to play out.

I want to be a woman who believes what Jesus says, and goes out in those promises.