Sun Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

“Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.’ So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.’” (John 2:6-10)

Did you notice the water was not turned into wine until the jugs were filled completely to the brim the way Jesus demanded? We have it backwards. We think obedience follows blessing. Instead, blessing follows obedience. Here is an example, “When I get my bills paid, get completely out of debt and have plenty of money to spare, then I will start giving God a tithe.” Here is another one, “When I get my problems straightened out and get my act together then I will go back to church.” Here is another one, “When my wife begins to be the wife she ought to be then I will be the husband I ought to be.” Do you know what happens in all those circumstances? People never tithe. They don’t go back to church and their marriage goes on the rocks. Why? Obedience doesn’t follow blessing, but blessing follows obedience.

When you do obey God and you do what God tells you to do you can expect God to come through. Jesus tells the servants to draw out some of this water and take it to the Master of Ceremonies to taste. You wouldn’t know it, but Jesus was asking Him to do a dangerous thing. Those jugs normally held water that was used to wash dirty hands, not wine for a wedding. These men could have been sent to prison for doing such a disgraceful act as taking dirty water to a Master of Ceremonies that was expecting sparkling wine. Do you see what happened? The water became wine after they obeyed, not before they obeyed. Jesus will not do what you need Him to do for you until you do what He wants you to do for Him.