the miracle you want to see may be determined by the words you’re walking on. The royal official didn’t wait for a miracle he could see; he walked into it by faith on what Jesus had said, because “no word from God will ever fail”. You may fail, but He won’t, so keep walking.
The Bible describes Christians as a “peculiar people”. This designation isn’t about being strange for its own sake, but about living in a way that often appears foolish or illogical to the popular culture around us. This is because “God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish”. Our faith walk is unique, directed by divine wisdom rather than what makes sense to the world.
Consider the story of a royal official from John’s gospel, chapter 4, whose son was critically ill in Capernaum. Hearing that Jesus had arrived, he desperately sought Him out, begging Jesus to come and heal his son who was “close to death”. Given his political status, his association with Jesus would have been highly noticeable, and perhaps even negatively perceived due to royal officers’ connections with Herod. His desperate pursuit of Jesus for his child’s healing might have been understandable to observers.
However, Jesus’ response was direct and peculiar: “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”. And here begins the truly peculiar walk: “The man took Jesus at his word and departed”. Imagine the scene: he had come seeking a healer to bring back to his home, but he returned “empty handed as though his son no longer needed intervention”. People might have assumed Jesus rejected him or that he simply gave up. Yet, the truth was, he was choosing to walk in what Jesus said.
His initial journey towards Jesus was driven by what he saw—his dying son and Jesus’ proven ability to heal others. But his walk home was directed by what Jesus said, even though it might have seemed “foolish” to those watching. Observers would likely question, “How do you trust someone’s words over and above what you’ve seen with your own eyes!”. This walk seemed “weird” because he wasn’t being directed by the situation he saw, but by the words Jesus spoke. This illustrates a profound truth: the opposite of faith is not fear, it’s control. When we can “make sense of things,” it often creates the illusion that we have a level of control. Walking by faith, therefore, means taking Jesus “at his word”—walking with “what he said” steps, not steps dictated by what we see, assume, or can logically comprehend.
The royal official’s belief in Jesus’ words meant he walked home without expecting Jesus to be physically present for his son’s healing. His peculiar, faith-filled steps led him to the miraculous news that his “boy was living”. It’s important to recognize that his faith wasn’t necessarily a simple, unwavering confidence; he may have struggled and “clung to with every step” to a “thinning grasp” of hope. Even a “mustard seed of faith” that allows us to “continue to walk on what Jesus said” is enough, because “For no word from God will ever fail”.
Often, the “abundant life in Christ” we are “waiting for, may actually require us walking into it”. This isn’t just about external practices, but about our internal posture. Do we truly walk as though we believe what Jesus says about who He is, who we are, and about others?. The royal official had to walk home with an “intentional posture of expectation,” even when it felt “unnatural to his own default beliefs and perceptions”. He walked “in between a bad situation he could see, and a miracle of healing he had only heard spoken”. Yet, the reward for walking in faith was a miracle he could see.
In the scientific world, “gait analyses” study what a person’s walk reveals about them, linking it to personality, emotional state, and confidence. This prompts us to ask: “What would your spiritual stride say to someone about your faith if they were able to analyse it?”. Are we walking with a “what I see” stride, or a “He said” step?. For instance, do we walk seeing ourselves as a “broken mess,” or as “His beloved masterpiece” as He said?. Do we perceive God as a “disapproving parent,” or do we take steps in line with His word that “whoever comes to me I will never drive away”?. Do we see others as “dark forces” and seek vengeance, or do we step in line with His command to “love our enemy”?.
What needs to change in your walk today? What “attitudes, false beliefs and negative narratives” need to stop directing your spiritual posture, and what “life-giving words from Jesus need to be paved walked on as the next step in your stride”?. Remember, the miracle you want to see may be determined by the words you’re walking on. The royal official didn’t wait for a miracle he could see; he walked into it by faith on what Jesus had said, because “no word from God will ever fail”. You may fail, but He won’t, so keep walking.
Reflect:
- How does my daily “faith walk” presently appear to those “indifferent to Jesus” in my world, and does it reflect the “peculiar” nature described in 1 Peter 2:9?
- In what specific areas of my life am I currently directing my steps based on what I see (my circumstances, popular culture’s wisdom, or my own assumptions) rather than explicitly on “what He said”?
- Where do I need to release the “illusion of control” in a situation and choose to trust Jesus’ words, even when it feels “foolish” or “unnatural” to my default perceptions?
- Considering the “gait analyses” analogy, what might my current “spiritual stride” be communicating about my faith, especially regarding how I see myself, God, and others?
- What “life-giving words from Jesus” do I need to intentionally “walk on” as my next step, believing that the “miracle I want to see may be determined by the words I’m walking on” rather than waiting for it to appear first?
What next step do you personally need to take?
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unfailing Word. Grant us the courage to be a “peculiar people,” walking by faith and not by sight. Help us to take You at Your word, to step forward with a posture of expectation, even when our circumstances scream otherwise. Guide our “spiritual stride” so that it reflects our belief in who You are, who we are in You, and how we are to love others. May we always choose to walk on “what He said,” trusting that the miracles we long for may be waiting for us to walk into them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Watch the sermon on YouTube