What We Don’t Have to Do, Part 3 Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: What We Don’t Have to Do, Part 3 Keywords: "abundantly" "prayer" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. What don't we have to do to get God's help when we need it? Look for clues in the following story of Jesus' first miracle. A short series of studies. Passage: John 2:1-11* 1. On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2. and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4. "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." 5. His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6. Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." 9. They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10. and said, "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." 11. This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. Question According to verse 10 above, what didn't the party revelers have to do to get the quality of help that Jesus gave them?   Practical help Same answer as for the previous study's question: nothin'. So far, we have seen in the miracle at the Cana wedding: 1. The party revelers didn't ask for the resupply of wine (they were too drunk). 2. They didn't, it follows, ask for any given amount of new wine. 3. Neither did they ask for a specific quality or vintage. What does all this mean? Getting help from God isn't about what we do; it's about what God does. It's tempting to protest that we needy folks must at least ask him for the help. But Jesus' first miracle indicates that the revelers were inarticulate about their need, being too drunk. This is good news for us porn strugglers who are too out of it to ask for help, much less specify a quantity or quality of help. Perhaps due to the prayers of other people on our behalf (see the first study in this series), Jesus provides us first-class help soon enough — without effort on our part. Get high on this idea of grace, so compactly illustrated in the above verses. And don't worry about abusing or taking advantage of such lavish grace. Scripture testifies that grace never makes us complacent or ungrateful; instead it motivates and energizes toward righteousness. An example is David's grace-induced rebound: Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. — Psalm 51:13 Need help in your porn struggle? Based on Jesus' miracle above, expect lavish help from God — as well as your own eventual rebound to righteousness. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2004 by eXXit *Scriptures are from The Holy Bible: New International Version, © copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.