Rocked my world

I was reading in John chapter 4 yesterday when something jumped off the page at me like never before. It begins in verse 43 as Jesus travels back through Galilee when He arrives in Cana and is approached by a certain royal official. This meeting is a bit of a chance encounter, and an opportune one at that. You see, the official's son was dying. So as the official draws close to Jesus, he begins to beg Jesus to come and heal his son. And after a bit of dialogue, Jesus makes it clear that He will not come to the official's home, but instead speaks to the official saying, "You may go. Your son will live." And what's recorded next has rocked my world. The NIV records it as, "The man took Jesus at His word and departed." (v. 50)

That official, panicked, stressed, desperate and at the end of his rope enduring the living hell of watching his son die, made the decision to step out in faith and "take Jesus at His word".

He took Jesus at His word...
He took Jesus at His word!!!

There's something about that that sits in my gut and convicts me beyond words. Think about it for a minute...how much of our relationship with Christ; our understanding of His word; and our "faith for the moment" seems to make perfect sense when we are sharing it with others in their time of need, but when it comes to our own time of need...when our emotions take over; when doubt sets in; when hope seems lost...causes our faith to wilt? But not for the official, there was something in his childlike-faith, something unbreakable, that, simply put, was able to take Jesus at His word. Wow...

There are moments in the Bible that are championed by heroes of faith. Moments like Daniel in the lions den, Peter walking on the water, Moses returning to the Pharaoh, and I could go on and on and on...but this one is different. It's different because this official doesn't have years of faith in God to draw from. In the timeline of Jesus' ministry this event is near the beginning. In other words, this official had just heard of Jesus...and yet...he took Him at his word. I LOVE that!

It makes me wonder what areas of my life and your life could be healed and redeemed if only you and I would make the strategic decision to ignore the details and simply hold fast to the promises of God. After the official left Jesus that day, this happened:

"While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed." (v. 51-53)

Let me ask you this, will you take Jesus at His word today? I'm really going to give my best effort to that today. I really am. I hope you will, too.

Grace and Peace