November 4 Daily Devotional

Guest at a Wedding

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

John 2:1-11

¹And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
²And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
³And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
⁴Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
⁵His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
⁶And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
⁷Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
⁸And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
⁹When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
¹⁰And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
¹¹This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Devotional:

Jesus was invited to the wedding at Cana. They wanted Him to be there to participate in the joyful celebration. They had confidence that He would find time in His busy schedule to rejoice with them on this happy day. Happy the couple who invite Jesus to their wedding and desire to have Him share their joy on that day of days!

Jesus accepted the invitation to the wedding at Cana. That made the difference between an embarrassing social fiasco and a joyous event with very special refreshments! Jesus came and participated in the activities, showing real empathy with the chagrined host when the supply of wine was gone. The One who Himself made the grapes now miraculously made wine without grapes!

Today we do not look for a miracle when we invite Jesus to our wedding, but in the broad sense of the word we do experience the wonderful and the extraordinary when He is a part of our plans. His presence can bring assurance that this marriage can be a lasting, growing relationship at a time when one of every two marriages ends in divorce! His presence itself is joy, a joy which the world cannot know.

Jesus adds a new dimension to the home. He daily changes water into 'wine that maketh glad the heart of man' (Psalm 104:15).

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.