2017 Lent Day 4

John 2:1-12

My niece is getting married one week from today.  So when I read this scripture I tried to infer some meaning for this upcoming nuptials.  You've guessed it - Jesus turns water into wine his first miracle. I've reread the passage 3 times in the NIV, once in the Message, and once in the New King James.  As much as I've tried I just can't come up with a connection for this upcoming wedding.  No surprise, His ways are not my ways, His thoughts are not my thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).

I occasionally drink wine, but I don't know very much about it.  There are so many choices at the store.  If I took a Facebook quiz on wine I'd fail miserably.  There were obviously different wines during this time of Christ as well. In verse 10 the master of the banquet tastes this wine Jesus has miraculously changed from water and says "everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

I don't know about you but I'm tickled that God provides not what is expected or customary but what is best.  Jesus' mother Mary gets involved with the festivities sees the wine is low and enlists Jesus to fix it.  Women are really good at identifying problems and passing on the work to men.  But we tend to give more instructions than Mary.  She just tells Jesus there is a problem, and for the servants to do whatever he says.  Maybe that's the message God is trying to tell me - just ask, stop giving me advice on how to solve this or that.  Are you like me? I pray so passionately telling God what I think would be best.  The past 3 Lenten seasons I have adopted the 3 word prayer pattern.  All my prayers, there can be multiple ones, can only be 3 words. I wasn't planning to do that this year - could God be telling me otherwise?  Better not offer to pray at the wedding next weekend.

Best - God knows best, God acts best, God loves best, God times best, God is best