Welcome to Hank’s Place —
Last week I spoke about people not asking God for help largely out of a confidence in their own capabilities. And having a friendship with the world and relying on worldly wisdom, rather than God’s amazing grace.
I have been there, as a Christian. Here’s an example. Years ago Mary and I were leading a Young Adults group. There was a widow in the church with a lovely but very overgrown back yard, full of weeds, vines, sticker bushes. We volunteered the group for a Saturday morning massive cleanup. We were helping God out. After all Scripture said pure and undefiled religion was helping widows and orphans.
Yep, helping God out. I believe we began with a prayer and then jumped into action. As young people it was vigorous action. Mine certainly was, with a big electric hedge trimmer. I was whipping through those thick vines and bushes like no tomorrow! I was strong. I was able. I could do it and be an example for the others!
Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “You are going to cut yourself.” Talk about God’s grace! But rather than listen, rather than stop, I replied, “No I am not (after all, “I know what I am doing!”). The Spirit said, “No, but you are.”
Before I could ponder those words or stop my actions, I swung that hedge trimmer through vines so thick they ripped the trimmer out of my hands, but not before it slashed one of my fingers. Had I not been wearing heavy gloves it likely would have severed the finger!
The blood was pumping out of that finger. Whoa! Had an artery been cut? A muscle? A tendon? Fellow young adult Rick Rudnick came to my side. He reminded me he had a supernatural gift of healing, and immediately placed his hand upon my blood spurting finger and called upon Jesus. Instantly, and I mean instantly, the bleeding stopped! When he took his hand away the deep laceration looked more like a cut on its way to healing. A few days later all that remained was a scar in the shape of an Ichthus, the ancient Jesus fish symbol Christians used to identify one another.
I learned several lessons that day! Like listening and responding to God quickly! That putting my worldly abilities ahead of trust in Him can lead to bad outcomes. And that God’s grace and mercies are not dependent on our performance.
God, merciful God, gave grace — I did not lose my finger. What a lesson. I share it in hope you will place you confidence fully upon Jesus and sever any friendship with the world.
As you do, dear friend, YOU’LL — COME ALIVE!
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Great testimony… very encouraging
….but I cannot severe . .. My friendship with the world .. as Yeshua says go into all the world …I need to go into… how can they hear If no one tells them…..shalom!
Two different ideas. Point of this message is that we (without realizing it) often may still be thinking like the world and its philosophies, opinions, beliefs. One of which is having an awesome confidence in our own abilities. Another is that by trying harder we will do better (without thinking about praying). Jesus was a friend of the world. He loved the world. He shared the Good News with the world. So should we as little anointed ones. Whoo-hoo!