It’s hard to imagine that these pictures were taken on the same day. May 11, 2020 began cold and bleak, yet before the day was over the sky was blue, the air was warm, and there was hardly a trace of snow to be found.
We all experience dreary and difficult days. At times those days can drag into weeks, months and even years. But …
It’s always darkest before the dawn!
One moment some of Jesus’ disciples feared for their lives as the waves crashed against their fishing boat. Moments later they stood in amazement, realizing in whose presence they stood. (Matt. 8:23-27)
The demons had such a hold on the men from the Gadarenes that no one could pass by them. But then they met Jesus and in a moment everything changed. They were made whole again in body and mind. (Matt.8:28-32)
The crowds were hungry after listening to Jesus teach all day. They could no longer ignore their hunger when in a moment Jesus provided for their needs by miraculously multiplying the loaves and the fish. (Matt. 14:13-21)
The woman whose bleeding wouldn’t stop, woke up that morning in her usual despair after spending all her money searching for a cure. After twelve long years, everything changed in a moment when, by faith, she touched the fringe of Jesus’ garment and was cured. (Luke 8:43-48)
The paralyzed man lay helpless until four friends picked him up and transported him through the roof of a house where Jesus was the guest. In a moment Jesus healed not only the man’s body but also his soul when he pronounced, “your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:17-26)
Peter was locked in a prison cell, bound in chains between two guards. Meanwhile, his friends were praying for his release. Moments later an angel came and rescued him. (Acts 12:1-17)
Each of these people experienced hope after despair and it happened in a moment. Jesus still has the power to change lives in a moment.
In a moment
- a person is born again (John 3:1–5),
- receives the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, Ephesians 1:13–14),
- becomes a child of God (John 1:12, 1 John 3:1–2),
- is delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13),
- and redeemed and justified (Romans 3:24).
When by faith we put our trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord everything changes.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
As Jesus worked in the past he is still working today. He still heals minds and bodies, feeds the hungry, and frees the captive. He is not physically present with us but we have the Holy Spirit, and in Jesus’ name we pray to the Father knowing that he hears us. We can come boldly into his presence through prayer knowing that we are heard and that our prayers will be answered according to his will. We may not receive the miracle we are hoping for but we can always know that our sovereign God knows what’s best and in his time will answer.
When we pray, we do well to remember the words of the great preacher Charles Spurgeon who said, “We do not pray to God to instruct him as to what he should do; neither for a moment must we presume to dictate the method of the divine working.”
In a moment everything can change. We praise him when we receive the miracle we had hoped for but even when we don’t we can praise him, knowing that God’s ways are not our ways and we can always trust him.
