The Upper Room Daily Devotional of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "The Best for Last" for Monday, 25 September 2017 - Read John 2:1-11

The Upper Room Daily Devotional of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "The Best for Last" for Monday, 25 September 2017 - Read John 2:1-11
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John 2:1 On Tuesday[John 2:1 Greek: the third day, equivalent to Hebrew yom shlishi] there was a wedding at Kanah in the Galil; and the mother of Yeshua was there. 2 Yeshua too was invited to the wedding, along with his talmidim. 3 The wine ran out, and Yeshua’s mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 Yeshua replied, “Mother, why should that concern me? — or you? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now six stone water-jars were standing there for the Jewish ceremonial washings, each with a capacity of twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Yeshua told them, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 He said, “Now draw some out, and take it to the man in charge of the banquet”; and they took it. 9 The man in charge tasted the water; it had now turned into wine! He did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. So he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the good wine first and the poorer wine after people have drunk freely. But you have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This, the first of Yeshua’s miraculous signs, he did at Kanah in the Galil; he manifested his glory, and his talmidim came to trust in him.
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Paul wrote, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 (NIV))
One Sunday my pastor preached a sermon entitled “Saving the Best for Last.” His message was based on John’s account of Jesus’ turning water into wine. The master of the banquet tasted the wine that Jesus had converted and declared, “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.”
As I was reflecting on the sermon, it occurred to me that this is also true for those who follow Christ — the best comes at the end. We all encounter difficulties and hardships: illness, broken relationships, loss of loved ones, conflicts, stress, and many other challenges. Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed and discouraged. But as Christians, we can look forward with hope. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we can live with the assurance that the best is yet to come. We can look forward to an eternal life of joy and peace with our Lord and Savior.
The Author: John D. Bown (Minnesota, USA)
Thought for the Day: No matter what I face today, God offers hope for a better tomorrow.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to trust you to give us strength during the challenges we face. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone preparing to preach this week
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