This reminds me of John 2. Jesus and His family attended a wedding celebration at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother, Mary, realised that there was no more wine. So she said to Jesus, “they have no more wine” (John 2:3). We are not sure if Mary was somehow in charge of food and beverages (probably not), but it seems that she had hoped Jesus could help solve the problem as he was her eldest son and was resourceful. She then instructed the servants, to “do whatever he tells you” (2:5) and they did so (2:7-8). This is the key that solved the problem.

Jesus told them to simply use water to fill up some vessels and then bring whatever was in the vessels to the guests. Then things happened when they obeyed: the master of the banquet was amazed, “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” (2:10). Jesus had performed a miracle and saved the bridegroom from a big embarrassment. This passage concludes that “what Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which He revealed his glory” (2:11). Jesus’ power was mobilised through the obedience of the servants.

I urge you to read the Bible daily. The Lord will provide you instructions as to how you should live your day or week or month/year. As you pray and ask for the Lord’s strength to obey, the Lord will help you to obey his Word. Then you will experience the glory of the Lord in your life. In whatever problem you encounter, the Lord will go through life with you daily.

Is it not wonderful? The difficulties and uncertainties in life will not go away (to wish otherwise is wishful thinking and unrealistic) and are here to stay for your entire life. But Jesus is also here to stay for your entire life and beyond into eternity. He will strengthen you with His powerful and comforting presence, more specifically, His glory. But you must do one thing: read God’s Word (the Bible) daily and be sure to obey it. Then in big and small things in life, the Lord will guide and comfort you with His quiet but powerful presence.

Start your Quiet Time today. Choose a biblical book (e.g., the Gospel of Matthew) and read it passage by passage. Do not rush through the reading. Think and understand what you read. You might not read many verses, but it is more important to take time to meditate on what you read. Then pray to the Lord for help to obey what you read. Pray also for the day and your needs, and the needs of others. As the English proverbs goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” so, “15 minutes a day keep evils away.”