Scripture: " … And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 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." -John 4:46 - 52, NIV
One of the nicest CD's I have listened to this year comes from one of the greats in the genre known as Neo-Soul. This great's name is India Arie. She has had some interesting songs like "I Am Not My Hair", "Hope", and "Little Things". On her latest CD entitled "Testimony: Volume 2: Love & Politics, Arie has written and sung another awesome song that caught my attention, thus bringing us into today's title. The song is entitled "Therapy". Within this song, Arie sings about how she needs the love of her man and how she calls this love from him her therapy. If truth were told, we all, whether it is now or later, will need the therapy of God. There are going to come times where we are going to need Him to love us more than we love ourselves. There are going to come times where we need Him to heal our aching bodies that we may run this race. Then again, He's God, He knows all about us and is right there to provide His brand of therapy for you and me. Today's text puts this title into perspective.
Our main scripture for today can be found in the Gospel account according to John. This particular account of the Gospel differs from those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John introduces Jesus as the Word that has been with God since the beginning. Later on within the introductory chapter, John states that the Word, being Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among us. Within this particular chapter, Jesus has been performing ministry, just like He has been doing through this account. We find Him ministering to a Samaritan woman, then getting back together with His disciples, obtaining respect and belief from the Samaritan community on the basis of the woman's testimony, and healing an official's son, where today's main scripture is located.
The beginning of this text actually reveals to us that Jesus is back in Cana, the place where He performed His first miracle of turning water into wine. As He was going through town, a certain royal official was there in the area who had a son that was sick. Due to this man hearing that Jesus was in town, he went to find Jesus in search and need of His therapy. One thing God encourages us to do is to "seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you". This royal official did not seek a medical doctor! He did not seek a witch doctor! He sought the Balm in Gilead, waiting to heal the sick, and that man was Jesus. As the man went to Jesus, the text revealed that he begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his son because he was close to death. Given that this man was a royal official, his humility here blessed me. Can you imagine being an important figure in your town/city and then begging the Savior to do something for you in front of people? This official put away his pride because there was a greater need: his son! Ladies and gentlemen, when you are in need of God's therapy, there are times where you are going to have to swallow your pride in order to get what you need! If you are ashamed of praying, then wake up, swallow that pride, and begin praying! If you are ashamed of reading God's Word, wake up, swallow your pride, and get counsel on reading a version of the Bible that can bless you! All God wants from us is to lay down our pride, trust Him, believe Him, and He'll do the rest!
Jesus continues on in the text and says, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe". Wow! What a profound and yet true statement! Many of us need to see it before we believe it and God is challenging us to break that mindset! He wants us to trust Him and believe in Him and His power! Don't you realize that some of us put more faith in our vehicles and public transportation than we do in God! God wants us to exercise "now faith" as prescribed in Hebrews 11:1. He wants us to exercise the "Proverbs 3:5" trust that we will lean on Him and not our own understanding. He wants to provide His therapy for you and me, but He needs our faith and trust! Then, the man asked Jesus to come to His home and heal his son before he dies. Jesus tells the man "You may go, your son will live". At that moment, Jesus provided this man and his son the therapy he needed. This therapy was clinched when the text revealed "the man took Jesus at His Word and departed". This man has now placed his faith and trust in Jesus to work. In order to receive the healing you desire, you must take Jesus at His Word. In order to receive the best for your family and friends, you must take Jesus at His Word. In order to receive what God has in store for your church, you must take Jesus at His Word. The therapy Jesus provided for the man would have been all null and void if he did not take Jesus at His Word! What happened when the man took Jesus at His Word?
The text reveals that "While he was still on his way (on his way home), his servants met him with the news that his boy was living". Because the man took Jesus at His Word and received His therapy, his son was healed and the dead has became the living again. Ladies and gentlemen, there are some of you that have some dead situations that you want Jesus to resurrect. If you can just take Jesus at His Word, the dead situation of your marriage can rise and live again! The dead situation of your bad health can turn into good health! The dead situation of your finances can turn into healthy finances! The dead situation of your relationship with God can turn into a healthy one! The dead situation of your bad relationships with family and friends can turn into healthier and greater relationships! Whatever you want resurrected from the dead, receive Jesus' therapy, and take Him at His Word!
In closing, the man found out that his son's fever left at the seventh hour and this was prevalent because this was when Jesus spoke the therapy into the atmosphere. My encouragement to you on today is that we are in need of God's therapy. My prayer is that you figure out what kind of therapy you need, whether it's mental, emotional, spiritual, or whatever. When you figure it out, go find Jesus, and let Him doctor to your situation, and last but not least, trust Him, believe Him, and take Him at His Word! If He healed the official's son, can't He heal your dead situation?
Our main scripture for today can be found in the Gospel account according to John. This particular account of the Gospel differs from those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John introduces Jesus as the Word that has been with God since the beginning. Later on within the introductory chapter, John states that the Word, being Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among us. Within this particular chapter, Jesus has been performing ministry, just like He has been doing through this account. We find Him ministering to a Samaritan woman, then getting back together with His disciples, obtaining respect and belief from the Samaritan community on the basis of the woman's testimony, and healing an official's son, where today's main scripture is located.
The beginning of this text actually reveals to us that Jesus is back in Cana, the place where He performed His first miracle of turning water into wine. As He was going through town, a certain royal official was there in the area who had a son that was sick. Due to this man hearing that Jesus was in town, he went to find Jesus in search and need of His therapy. One thing God encourages us to do is to "seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you". This royal official did not seek a medical doctor! He did not seek a witch doctor! He sought the Balm in Gilead, waiting to heal the sick, and that man was Jesus. As the man went to Jesus, the text revealed that he begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his son because he was close to death. Given that this man was a royal official, his humility here blessed me. Can you imagine being an important figure in your town/city and then begging the Savior to do something for you in front of people? This official put away his pride because there was a greater need: his son! Ladies and gentlemen, when you are in need of God's therapy, there are times where you are going to have to swallow your pride in order to get what you need! If you are ashamed of praying, then wake up, swallow that pride, and begin praying! If you are ashamed of reading God's Word, wake up, swallow your pride, and get counsel on reading a version of the Bible that can bless you! All God wants from us is to lay down our pride, trust Him, believe Him, and He'll do the rest!
Jesus continues on in the text and says, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe". Wow! What a profound and yet true statement! Many of us need to see it before we believe it and God is challenging us to break that mindset! He wants us to trust Him and believe in Him and His power! Don't you realize that some of us put more faith in our vehicles and public transportation than we do in God! God wants us to exercise "now faith" as prescribed in Hebrews 11:1. He wants us to exercise the "Proverbs 3:5" trust that we will lean on Him and not our own understanding. He wants to provide His therapy for you and me, but He needs our faith and trust! Then, the man asked Jesus to come to His home and heal his son before he dies. Jesus tells the man "You may go, your son will live". At that moment, Jesus provided this man and his son the therapy he needed. This therapy was clinched when the text revealed "the man took Jesus at His Word and departed". This man has now placed his faith and trust in Jesus to work. In order to receive the healing you desire, you must take Jesus at His Word. In order to receive the best for your family and friends, you must take Jesus at His Word. In order to receive what God has in store for your church, you must take Jesus at His Word. The therapy Jesus provided for the man would have been all null and void if he did not take Jesus at His Word! What happened when the man took Jesus at His Word?
The text reveals that "While he was still on his way (on his way home), his servants met him with the news that his boy was living". Because the man took Jesus at His Word and received His therapy, his son was healed and the dead has became the living again. Ladies and gentlemen, there are some of you that have some dead situations that you want Jesus to resurrect. If you can just take Jesus at His Word, the dead situation of your marriage can rise and live again! The dead situation of your bad health can turn into good health! The dead situation of your finances can turn into healthy finances! The dead situation of your relationship with God can turn into a healthy one! The dead situation of your bad relationships with family and friends can turn into healthier and greater relationships! Whatever you want resurrected from the dead, receive Jesus' therapy, and take Him at His Word!
In closing, the man found out that his son's fever left at the seventh hour and this was prevalent because this was when Jesus spoke the therapy into the atmosphere. My encouragement to you on today is that we are in need of God's therapy. My prayer is that you figure out what kind of therapy you need, whether it's mental, emotional, spiritual, or whatever. When you figure it out, go find Jesus, and let Him doctor to your situation, and last but not least, trust Him, believe Him, and take Him at His Word! If He healed the official's son, can't He heal your dead situation?
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