July 8, 2024 Devo

July 8th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
Jesus and the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54)
As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. – John 4:46-47 (NLT)
“The Prayers of Beggars”

One of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln is this one: “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” Can you relate to those words? I sure can. There have been so many times that I’ve faced decisions and situations and realized that I just don’t have the wisdom that it takes to figure it out. I need to hear from God. I’ve had times when I’ve been running too hard and too long with my soul depleted, only to face yet another hill that looms before. I need the strength of God. I go on and on about the times I’ve needed God’s healing or needed God’s grace or needed God’s intervention. Some days are like that, aren’t they? Those are the times we don’t just say a prayer to God. We come begging.
That’s what I thought about when I read our passage today. All of us with kids know what it’s like to be concerned about our children’s health or safety. And we often say prayers over them. But it’s in moments like this father is having, with a child that is near to death, that we don’t just say a prayer for them. We cry out to God for them. We hit our knees and bury our faces in our hands, and we weep before God for them. We throw aside all pride, and we beg God on their behalf. Not because God needs to be begged, but sometimes that’s the only way our heavy hearts can express the depth of our despair. And that cry of the soul touches the heart of God.
Is that where YOU are at today? Some of you may have some everyday needs that call for everyday prayers, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I wish that were so for all of us. But my guess is that there are some of us today who are where the father was in our passage. Your need is GREAT. Your pain is SEVERE. You have nowhere else to go, nothing else you can do, and you can’t make it without the help of God. You’re BEGGING for it. It’s okay. Because you’re not really begging. You’re simply crying out from the depths of a broken heart. And that’s a cry God hears every time. That’s God’s Word for you today.