Surmounting the Insurmountable - Martin Wiles

The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” John 2:3 NLT

Surmounting the insurmountable can frustrate us.

Problems appeared insurmountable when I was a child—but solutions easily attainable. As tears streamed down my cheek, I offered my broken sucker to Mom. “Fix it,” was all I could manage to say. And she did. Opening the canister on the counter, she replaced my broken sucker with one that had no cracks.

If I accidentally broke a piece off one of my Matchbox cars, I took it to Dad. With a bit of super glue, he could make it as good as new.

I did the same for my grandsons. Whenever they said, “Broke Pop,” I fixed it. In their eyes, Pop could fix anything.

Of course, as I got older, the problems became more severe and not as easily solved. They won’t be with my grandchildren either.

Jesus’ mother came to him with a serious problem. Wedding celebrations were magnificent occasions. Running out of wine was a major faux pa. Perhaps Mary helped with the wedding. She knew her son possessed the power to fix broken situations. Initially, it didn’t appear he was interested in helping, but in the end, he did.

My wine has run out quite a few times since I was a child. The older I was, the larger the lack of wine appeared. No longer was it a broken sucker. It entailed a broken heart. Glue may have put the car back together, but it couldn’t seal my poor decisions. When the wine ran out, it was easy to substitute its absence with loneliness, depression, or unhealthy habits.

Mary’s solution was more appropriate, and it’s one I’m learning to replace my less-than-perfect ones with. She took the issue to the one who had unlimited power. The one who could intervene and truly fix something—not just patch it. And he did by turning several stone pots of hand-washing water into the best wine available. Amazing what Jesus can do with empty glasses when we get out of the way and let him accomplish his purpose and plan.

Don’t settle for lesser solutions when the wine runs out and the problems seem insurmountable. Instead, let God provide the best answers to your dilemmas.

What are some steps you can take when the problems seem insurmountable?

Prayer: Father, I thank you for refilling my glass when the wine runs out. 

Tweetable: What do you do when the odds appear insurmountable? 

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