When the Clock Strikes One
Today's Verse:
Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. ~John 4:52-53
We have nursery rhymes that we learned in our childhood and that stay with us even as adults. One of these is "Hickory Dickory Dock." It is a fun rhyme about a mouse that runs up and down a grandfather-type clock. Every time the clock strikes an hour and makes a loud chime, the mouse could come down. It is a rhyme that helps to teach children how to tell time on a clock. The very first stanza speaks of when the clock struck one. Our devotion this morning is about a real incident that occurred at 1:00 pm. The seventh hour in Jewish time is equivalent to our 1:00 pm. Consider how a man exercised faith when the clock struck one.
There is the responsibility in faith.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him.” “For we walk by faith, and not by sight.” “The just shall live by faith.” Faith is an indispensable aspect of victorious Christian living. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." How are you living out your faith? What are you praying for that will require great faith in God? If we are not living by faith, we are not pleasing to God! The nobleman was in a crisis. His son could die at any moment. When the clock struck one, this man for the first time in his life exercised faith in God. Do you have faith in God?
There is the resolve in faith.
The nobleman cried to Jesus, “Sir, come down ere my son die”! He traveled 20 miles by foot to get to Jesus. Jesus had performed only one miracle before this. That one miracle was enough for this man to believe that Jesus was God and that He was capable of healing his son. Cana was at an elevation level that required travelers to come down. Geographically speaking, this man was requesting Jesus to come down with him to Capernaum. Spiritually speaking, this man had such faith in the deity and power of Christ that he boldly requested Jesus to “come down” and meet him at the point of need. Without trials, our faith cannot be perfected. Faith must have the resolve that only God can meet us at our point of need.
There is the result in faith.
The man’s servants hurriedly made their way from Capernaum to Cana to tell the man, “Thy son liveth”! The man thought, “Wait, that was what Jesus said to me as well!” So, he asked, “At what time did my son get well?” The servants told him at the seventh hour, or 1:00 pm. The father knew it was at the same hour! When the clock strikes one, faith will see its results. Little faith will bring your soul to Heaven. Great faith brings Heaven to your soul.
There is the resuming of faith.
This man believed, and all his house. Time is constantly in motion. We cannot slow down or stop time. It keeps going regardless of our circumstances. This man would experience many more 1:00 pm’s in his life. We must not forget that the clock will keep striking one. As long as we live, we must resume the necessity of exercising faith. The next time the clock strikes one, what faith opportunity will God give you to trust Him for?
Is the clock approaching “one” for you? When it does, what faith opportunity will you exercise?
Have a faith-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Deuteronomy 11-13