It is possible to have Jesus present in your life but not truly involved in your decisions, your struggles, or your celebrations. Many times, we invite Jesus to be a guest, but we do not give Him authority or make Him the foundation of our plans. When we rely on our own strength and strategies, we eventually run out—of energy, resources, peace, or joy. The miracle begins not when we have everything together, but when we confess our emptiness and make room for Jesus to take the lead. Don’t just put Him on your guest list; put Him on your glory list. [18:43]
John 2:1-4 (ESV)
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
Reflection: In what area of your life have you invited Jesus to be present, but not truly given Him authority to lead? What would it look like to involve Him fully today?
The greatest miracle God performs is not always around you, but within you. The story of the wedding at Cana shows that the shift began not with a physical act, but with a mental and spiritual posture—acknowledging what is empty and making room for God to fill it. If God is not at the center of your mindset, He remains on the edge of your miracle. Transformation starts with the renewing of your mind, letting go of pride, self-reliance, and old patterns so that God can do a new thing in you. [23:53]
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Reflection: What is one thought pattern or belief you need to surrender to God so He can renew your mind and bring transformation today?
When the crisis is confessed and the lack is acknowledged, Jesus often responds with a simple instruction rather than a spectacle. The servants at Cana were told to fill the water pots with water—an ordinary, practical act that required faith and obedience. Sometimes, God’s instructions seem too small for the size of our problem, but obedience is the bridge between crisis and creativity, the womb where God’s word becomes alive. Miracles flow where there is full, brim-level obedience, not half-hearted effort. [34:53]
John 2:5-7 (ESV)
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
Reflection: What is one simple, practical step of obedience God is asking you to take today, even if it seems small or ordinary?
God often works in the “in-between”—the space between the problem and the promise, between the instruction and the outcome. The servants carried water, not knowing when or how it would become wine. Faith is required most in the middle, when you cannot see the evidence but are called to carry expectation. The middle may feel messy, uncertain, or even holy, because it is where God’s presence meets your process. Trust that God is working, even when you cannot see the change yet. [44:48]
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Reflection: Where in your life are you “in the middle”—waiting for God to move? How can you carry expectation and trust Him in that space today?
The same God who turned water into wine is able to turn your weakness into a witness and your obedience into overflow. The miracle at Cana was not just about meeting a need, but about previewing a new covenant and revealing God’s glory. When you give God your full obedience, He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can imagine—bringing new strength, new ideas, and new blessings. Even if you didn’t come for this, God brought you here to remind you that the middle of your struggle is holy ground, and your miracle is in motion. [54:12]
Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Reflection: What is one area where you need to move from partial to full obedience, trusting that God will bring overflow as you surrender completely?
Today, we gathered to remember that God is not only present in our celebrations, but also in our crises, our shortages, and our “middle moments.” Drawing from John 2, the story of Jesus turning water into wine, we explored how God often allows us to reach the end of our own resources—not to punish us, but to position us for a miracle. The running out of wine at the wedding was not just a logistical problem, but a symbol of joy, honor, and covenant running dry. Sometimes, God lets our visible shortages expose the hidden structures of self-reliance in our lives, so that we might finally build on the right foundation—His presence and power.
We saw that the real issue at the wedding was not the empty jars, but the empty strategy: Jesus was invited, but not involved. Too often, we put God on the guest list of our lives, but not at the center. The miracle began not with motion, but with a mindset shift. Mary’s faith was not in her own plan, but in her posture—she simply acknowledged the lack and made room for Jesus to move. The greatest miracles God performs are not just around us, but within us, as He renews our minds and transforms our perspectives.
Obedience became the bridge between crisis and creativity. Jesus’ instruction to fill the jars with water was not flashy or impressive, but it was faithful. Sometimes, God’s greatest demonstrations of power come dressed in the plain clothes of practicality. The servants filled the jars to the brim, showing all-in trust. The miracle happened not in the pouring, but in the in-between—the space where faith must function without confirmation, where we carry water even when we expect wine.
God is not just interested in changing our circumstances, but in changing our mindsets. He repurposes what is ordinary, overlooked, or even broken, and fills it with new purpose and glory. The “middle” is often messy, but it is also holy ground, because it is where God moves in mystery and manifests His power. Even when we don’t see the outcome, we are called to stand, to obey, and to trust that God is working in the unseen. The same God who turned water into wine is able to turn our weakness into witness, our obedience into overflow, and our middle moments into miracles.
John 2:1-11 (ESV) — On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
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