March 1

Unfailing Joys

When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.” — John 2:3 BSB

This situation is a great example of how the joys of this world often fall short. The wine ran out at a wedding feast because there wasn’t enough to last through the whole celebration. This is just like the pleasures of life—they come in small amounts, not in endless supplies, and they run out before we know it. This is especially true for sinful pleasures. The prodigal son soon wasted all he had and ended up in need.

A poet once compared sinful pleasures to a snowflake on a river: "white for a moment, then gone forever." But even pure pleasures are limited. Even human love, as sweet as it can be, is only a small amount that won’t last forever. The joy that fills us today may turn to sorrow tomorrow. At the marriage altar, the words “till death do us part” remind us that one day, one of the couple will say goodbye at the edge of life’s valley and continue the journey alone.

The best of life’s joys and love will eventually fade. If that’s all there was, how sad it would be! But this is where the glory of Christ’s gospel shines. When life’s joys fail, Jesus steps in and provides something better—Heaven’s joy. The scene of the wedding with the failing wine, followed by Jesus providing more, is such a beautiful and true picture. This is what Jesus continually does—He steps into lives that have run out of earthly happiness and fills them with spiritual blessings so that they lack nothing.

When human joy runs dry, if we have Jesus with us, He gives us new joy, far better than anything the world offers and in endless supply. How unfortunate it is for those who don’t have Christ, who are left with nothing but an empty cup when life’s pleasures run out!