Filled to the Brim

“[Mary] said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, [He] did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew).” John 2:5,7,9 (ESV)

For years I’ve prayed, “Here I am, Lord.” I chose those words because some of my favorite heroes from the Old Testament, Abraham, Moses, and Samuel, said them in response to the Lord’s call. Their words echoed hearts postured in obedience when they responded, “Here I am, Lord,” signifying they were ready and willing to do whatever He asked. And, man, they got to do some amazing things as they exercised their obedience and faith!

When I pray those words, it’s with great anticipation for the next assignment from God.

It’s thrilling when the Lord gives us big, important assignments, isn’t it? It brings a sense of accomplishment as we walk alongside Him to fulfill a challenging task. But what happens when the job He gives us doesn’t seem important? What is our response when it appears small or mundane?

As I pondered those questions, the Holy Spirit shed new light on the story of Jesus’ first miracle, when He turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana. After his mother told Him the wine had run out, she turned to the servants and said, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5 ESV).

They had no idea that Jesus was the Messiah, but, as servants, their job was to complete the tasks they were given, so they did. John 2:7 describes their obedience saying, “Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim” (ESV).

Jesus gave the servants the simple task of filling jars with water. We see here that not only did they complete the simple task, but they responded by filling the jars with water as completely as possible—to the brim. They did their very best with a modest task.

The result? God’s glory was revealed as Jesus’ first miracle was carried out, and the water was turned into wine so good that the master of the feast bragged about it! What’s more, the Lord blessed their obedience by giving them intimate knowledge that Jesus had performed a miracle. John 2:9 explains that the master of the feast “did not know where [the wine] came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew)” (ESV).

The servants completed a simple task of filling jars with water, but they did it to the best of their abilities. In turn, the Lord gave them the blessing of witnessing Jesus’ first miracle; in their obedience, they got to see the glory of God revealed!

There are times we’re assigned small, seemingly insignificant tasks. When that happens, like the servants, we must submit and do whatever we’re asked to the best of our ability because God reveals His glory when we do!

Is there something seemingly insignificant that the Lord is asking you to do today? If so, respond, “Here I am, Lord,” and complete the job as thoroughly as possible so His glory will be revealed!

Lord, my God, Here I am! Whatever You want me to do, the answer is, “Yes! Yes, Lord! I am here for it!” Please direct my steps and lead me where You want me to go. If I begin to get off track, please guide me back to Your path. I am here to serve You, whatever the task. In Jesus’ name, Amen.