Where Are My Roots?

I am participating in the IF:Equip study of the Gospel of John.  The other day we read John 4:43 - 54.  This is when Jesus heals the official's son, sight unseen.

The IF:Equip format asks that you read the Scripture, listen to a short video with two ladies from the IF:Gathering, and then respond in this way:

IF you believe this is true...THEN...

What does this mean about God?
What does this mean about you?
What does this mean about the world?


This story has never struck me one way or the other.  But on February 21, 2014, while responding to these questions, I was amazed at what God revealed to me.

IF you believe this is true...THEN...

What does this mean about God?

• God wants desperately for us to have FAITH and BELIEVE - not because of what He can do for me, but because of who He is...because of what He has done.  He is a healer.  He does heal even today.  Jesus was healing that boy at the moment his father was begging Jesus.  These stories of healing build our faith, but they are not what our faith should be grounded in.  But Jesus came to be my Savior.  He came to be my Lord.

What does this mean about me?

• Where is my faith grounded?  Is it in what Jesus can do for me - or what I want Him to do for me?  What if my loved ones are not healed in this world - the way I want them to be healed - which is fully and completely?  Will my faith stand?  What id something happens to my children or my husband - or me?  Will my faith be shaken?  My faith is meant to be grounded deeply in my Savior - who came to this broken and sinful world to save His beloved people from eternal damnation for the choices we make.  That is who He is.  Healer is a bonus.  It is part of who He is, but it is not why He came.  But I do not get to choose who He heals in this world and who He chooses to bring complete and eternal healing to in Heaven.  So, where is my faith?  Where are my roots?  How deep do they go?

What does this mean about the world?

• Like me, the world has a very distorted view of who Jesus is and what faith really is.  No wonder the world has a hard time believing in Jesus - they are waiting for Jesus to do something for them, believing that He owes them something and not understanding that He has already done something for them - He died for them!  He died for me.  That's what He did.  He owes us nothing more.  As soon as we allow our faith to be rooted in our Savior and our Lord, when our circumstances shift, we will not fall.  Nothing can change who Jesus is.