When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." John 2:3-5
In this time of thanksgiving, I wanted to add one more thing to be thankful for and that is God’s time. We live in an age where everyone wants everything and they want it now. We work 24/7 and wonder why we are so stressed out and constantly going to the doctor for pains and problems. I don’t want it now. I want it when God thinks that I am ready. I think about this in all parts of my life, but especially my writing. I have met sever authors that wanted to break out with their one book and make the "big time". I am not one of them. I am happy to go slow and steady and arrive at God’s destination at God’s time. How could I devote more time to marketing and writing when I have a congregation to take care of? Where would I find time for book tours or six-month deadlines to get the next book done? We live in a fast-paced world that always wants things fast. I would rather move at God’s pace since He knows the best time and place to arrive at so that the most good is done.
In the text, Mary approaches Jesus with a simple bit of news. The family party has no more wine. Jesus’ response seems harsh, but it was an admission that He did not live according to her timetable, but to God’s. He and the disciples would not run to the next village to see if they could find some more wine. He would not call attention to Himself by doing some great miracle that would surround Him with crowds. He would wait for God’s time and God’s way. To Mary’s credit, she was willing to trust Jesus and told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Wine would come in Jesus’ time and way.
I felt blessed at the Kentucky book fair. Many of the people around me had one book to their name. I have three and am working on the fourth. When God says it is time for us to take the next step, I want to be ready. Till then I will simply have the joy that comes as I dig deep into the Bible for the messages. Each one teaches me something that I didn’t know about my Lord and about my service. Getting upset that things are not moving faster accomplishes little. God knows the best time and the best way. As we trust Him with our lives, we have the best result. Like picking apples off the tree in June, forcing results too early leaves us with a small result that is not fully developed. God’s time is best and I am sure that He will let us know when the time has fully come. It just another reason to be thankful that I am His and that He cares about what I do so much that He watches over me.