It’s interesting to me what it took for Peter to agree to follow Jesus, Jesus first performed a miracle for him. Peter caught soo much fish, he needed help from some side fishermen. In other words a “side business”. I never really understood the significance of it until now. Fishing was Peters career, his form of income. His job, profession, whatever you want to call it. No fish, no money. The more fish, the more money. So when Jesus came along and met Peters need, he immediately left everything and followed Jesus. I think Peter realized that this was the real deal. There was someone who connected with him and met his most urgent physical need without conditions.
Another fascinating story was the first miracle Jesus performed. Have you ever wondered about the first recorded miracle and how it’s labeled as Jesus’ first “public” miracle? My thoughts are, how did his mom know he can do miracles? Did he multiply food for them before? Did they ever get sick? What if he did cool things just for fun? I really wonder what it would have been like growing up with Jesus… What a family secret!
Anyway going back to the first miracle and it’s significance to me. It wasn’t even an act of healing or supplying an urgent need. It was literally just an enhancement to life. They could have run out of wine and called it a day, but no, Jesus made more wine so that the party could go on, who knows perhaps even for days. Haha. For all we know the wine never ended! But the point for me is that, it was a “want” more then a super “important” need. I get asked often if it’s selfish to pray for things you can live without, or even to pray for something like healing that you can live with? (Sore feet, headaches, glasses, etc..) Is it selfish to just want to be more comfortable? More prosperous? Always healthy and never sick?
Jesus’ first miracle clearly tells me that no, it is not wrong to ask for anything, if it’s in line with Gods will. There are a few ways to determine his will. Matthew 6:10 “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” When I pray I base my prayers off of that. Is there sickness in heaven? Would God allow this in heaven? Would a loving father want this for his child? Etc. Any request I have I filter through that. Even the miracle that Jesus performed for Peter when he caught all that fish, at that moment it wasn’t to feed the people or give anything to the poor it was for Peter as a form of income.
God is our father and he love us and wants the best for us. He would not use sickness, pain or any evil circumstance or person to teach us something. The word of God says that his kindness leads us to repentance. That may be a bit contrary to what we may have been taught or believed most of our lives. (For those of us who grew up in the church) Yes he can redeem bad things (and does!) but he is not the one that caused them and they are not part of his perfect plan.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows”. James 1:17
Above that verse it talks about enduring the troubles that come our way because they grow us. The Bible nor I, will deny that hard times come but Gods is not the one who sends them. We already know from Genesis the perfect world that God created for us to live in and his original plan for man kind. We also know what man did and how they “chose” to disobey God and through that, came the troubles and hard times as a consequence to mans disobedience. The Lord redeems it all and gives us the strength to persevere. He even gave us tools to equip us to live in a way that we can avoid attracting certain things or “dramas” if you will, into our life through his word and the gift of his Holy Spirit.
So we really have no right to blame God for any kind of troubles that come our way. But we can go to him for wisdom, strength, and encouragement. He will supply every need we have and will give us all it takes to overcome. We each have a choice and our choices have consequences, when something happens if we go back we can usually see where and what went wrong or where we may have disobeyed the still small voice inside of us.
Another thing that I’ve been learning from the significance of these miracles is that before we go out “preaching” Gods kingdom to the “lost” (people who do not have a relationship with Jesus) we should most likely do what Jesus did. Befriend our neighbors or co workers or family members. Get to know them on a more personal level, that way we can know what their needs may be. After we know their needs, we can meet them and I’m sure God will do the rest like only he can do. Of course through your obedience and the leading of his Spirit. A lot of times we talk about Jesus as the only one who has done miracles or the only one who can but the truth is, he told us to go out and do the same things he has done. Why are we not doing that? Why do we just sings songs about him being the miracle worker (and he is absolutely!) But he gave us orders to go out and do the same!
It took me a while to get where I’m at. I’m currently learning and in the process of things but I’m so excited to be stepping out into this new unknown territory for me. I feel like I was sheltered my whole life and didn’t even care much to get out of my little bubble but the Lord has been convicting me about sharing. Sharing the joy and the gift of knowing Christ. Sharing my daddy with those who don’t know him yet. Telling people that he wants to welcome them into his family and adopt them as his own children. Sharing his love with those who don’t know him yet, first by meeting their needs and by following the example of Jesus. I will have to post follow ups as time goes on. Sometimes I feel like years have been lost already, shame and guilt try to come in but the Lord reminds me that he is a redeemer and it’s not too late to start now.
I’m so excited for what He is doing and will continue to do. It’s not me by any means because his word says that it’s HIS love that leads people to repent. We are just his hands and feet on this earth, a representation of who he is. Let’s make him known through our love, kindness and our practical application of meeting people’s physical needs, before “preaching” to them. Jesus fed people all the time, he healed people, he forgave people, in other words lifted every burden they had. He didn’t scare them into his kingdom with hell or put fear of any kind into them. He met them where they were and loved them.
It’s like that saying “I don’t care what you know, until I know that you care”
This also reminds me of Kari Jobes song from a while back “We are” and in the chorus it goes,
We are the light of the world
We are the city on the hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta
We gotta let the light shine
Some practical ideas are mowing the lawn for an elderly couple, making meals for someone sick or who just had a baby, inviting people over for dinner, watching a friends kids who’s pregnant or just needs some time alone, etc.. Talking with people helps you get a better feel for their needs. Sometimes it may not even be a financial or all to physical of a need but as you talk with them you feel like maybe they struggle with depression or anxiety and you can pray over them right there or daily in your home. Over all just be KIND, be STRONG, don’t be offended over the smallest of things. If you get ignored over and over again, let it go and keep pressing in, keep sharing Gods love and shining his light. We don’t have to change the whole world (even Jesus didn’t do that) but we can touch our personal world one friend, one neighbor, one family member at a time. One small need met or one act of kindness can go a very long way. Above all ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. He knows what you can do or say that will break the ice and he will give you the courage to do it. Trust me :)
I hope this encouraged you to look around and see if there’s anyone already waiting for you to pour the love of Jesus into them. And if there isn’t, then ask the Lord to lead you to the right people and he will!
Blessings dear friends! Thank you so much for stopping by and reading!
I appreciate ya ;)
Natty