John 2:1-11 (NRSV)
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Chapter 2On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Verse 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. Verse 3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." Verse 4And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." Verse 5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Verse 6Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Verse 7Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. Verse 8He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. Verse 9When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom Verse 10and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Verse 11Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Devotion
When you travel, do you make lists of things you need to pack? I suspect that situations occasionally arise during your journeys when you discover you don’t have an important item. Sometimes this causes a frightening crisis (e.g., insufficient medication); in other cases, it causes a minor inconvenience (e.g., inadequate rainwear). An unforeseen wine shortfall became a concern during the wedding in Cana. What did Jesus’ mother do when the celebration transitioned from having enough wine to a potentially humiliating shortage? She told Jesus about the need for wine, enlisted help from other people, and expected Jesus would respond sufficiently. Just as folks discovered the wedding’s wine supply was lacking, we won’t always plan correctly for our future needs. Our requirements will change—often unpredictably—during life’s transitions. Therefore, we must tell God about our needs, enlist people’s help, and expect God will respond with sufficient resources for our journey.
Prayer
Giving God, we deceive ourselves when we believe we can plan for every situation in our life journeys. Remind us to rely on you and trust you to provide what you determine we need. Amen.
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