Thought for the Day – 1^st July 2020

The rich man – John 4. 46-53

“Then Jesus 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.  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.  Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’  The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.  As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive.  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.’  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.”

This nobleman probably lived in a luxurious villa above the village, but his vast wealth meant nothing when his boy lay dying.  So he rode 20 miles in search of Jesus.  Most people would have been flattered if the richest and most important man in the district asked for help.  But, to everyone’s astonishment, Jesus refused to go with him.

Jesus doesn’t always answer our prayers as, or when, we want.  All the rich man had to cling to, as he rode the long miles home, was Jesus’ promise: ‘Your son will live.’  Perhaps he kept repeating that promise over and over.  I find that while I wait for God’s response to my prayers, repeating his promises can really help.  We should try to remind ourselves that it is while we wait for his answer that our faith grows.  How wonderful to read that the whole of the nobleman’s household became followers of Jesus.

Have you ever seen God answer prayers for you or your family in a remarkable way?

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for listening to our prayers, keep us from discouragement as we wait for you to answer them. Amen.