When you encounter Jesus and drink the living water that only He gives, when you experience the ability to see clearly, your life will never be the same. He is not put off by your mess, by your past or by your inability to see yourself clearly.
Jesus told His followers, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullest” (John 10:10). And His gift of new life remains the same for us today.
Never underestimate the impact your mess-turned-miracle can have on other people. Remember that Jesus told His disciples that the blind man’s limitation was not the result of his sin or the sin of his parents but rather an opportunity for God’s glory to be manifest.
The same is true for whatever mess you are mired in. God uses our messes to get our attention as well as the attention of others. Just as we are inspired by the examples of the blind man and the Samaritan woman, other people will soon be inspired by you.
Expect Your Surprise
You may not be expecting to see what God’s about to do next in your life, but that does not mean you should not be ready. Based on how Jesus poured His power into those He healed and encountered, you should expect to be surprised! If you want to invite Jesus into your mess so that He can bless it and transform it into His miracle, then get ready.
Just because you cannot imagine your miracle does not mean that God’s power is not already amid your mud. Just because there is mud in your eyes right now does not mean you are not about to receive a new vision. Just because your soul remains thirsty right now does not mean you will not be quenched with the satisfaction of living water.
I understand if you feel skeptical or have doubts. And I appreciate how painful your life may be right now. I can believe you have been waiting for God to unleash His power in your life for a long time. I do not doubt that you have been praying and praying and have not received an answer yet.
Your Joy Is Coming
Before you dismiss my prophetic declarations as unbridled optimism, know that I make them not because of who I am or what I know. I make these prophetic declarations because I know the God whose power knows no limits. I am not living in denial but in full awareness of divine deliverance. If the old saying is true, that it is darkest before the dawn, then it is no surprise everything seems messiest before it is most miraculous.
In recent years we have seen darkness. We have seen world events transpire that we have never seen before. We have seen the ruins of what once was.
The ruins of a global pandemic.
The ruins of racial and social unrest fragmenting families, dividing communities and shattering the church. The ruins of political unrest where the donkey and the elephant temporarily succeed in dividing what belongs to the Lamb.
The ruins of a cancel culture that insists on silencing everyone and everything that refuses to toe the line of a morally relativistic ideological worldview that runs counter to the Word and Spirit of God.
We see these ruins. And we have wept from the depths of these ruins. But our tears are not in vain. Because God’s Word promises, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).
No matter what your mess looks like, how much damage it has done in your life and the lives of those you love, and how desperate you may feel, open your eyes to the power of Jesus Christ in your life. Invite Him in to see you right where you are. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see what you have never seen before.
Open your eyes to the power of Jesus Christ in your life.
I believe Jesus is coming to unleash His power as never before. But permit me to remind you:
- He is not coming back for a fearful church.
- He is not coming back for a dying church.
- Jesus Christ is coming back for a glorious church.
- A triumphant church.
- A victorious church.
- A holy church.
And while we are waiting for Jesus to come down, Jesus is waiting for us to stand up! Are you ready to see what we have never seen before?
Instead of riots, revival.
Instead of strife, unity.
Instead of relativism, truth.
Instead of hatred, love.
Look with wonder as the power of Christ radically transforms your life.
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Excerpted in part from “Your Mess, God’s Miracle” (Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2023) by Rev. Samuel Rodriguez. Used by permission.
Samuuel Rodriguez is a pastor, speaker, bestselling author, movie producer and civil rights activists whose career in the public square and international ministry have made him one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world. CNN and Fox News have named him “The leader of the Hispanic Evangelical movement,” and Time magazine nominated him as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. Rodriguez resides with his family in Sacramento, California, where he is the senior pastor of New Season Church.
