Sunday morning retuning: How important is your relationship to God? Truth is, it is the most important single thing in our lives, but we do not always act like it. We must be preoccupied with Jesus. Then and only then, when He is at the center of not only the heavens, but also our hearts, will we have Him in his rightful place!
Well, it finally happened. After flirting with disaster over the entire time we have owned our Chrysler van, last Thursday I ran out of gas. I cannot tell you how many times over those years the man has showed 0 miles to empty in the computer and I just kept chugging along. My wife had warned me any number of times not to do this, but in my pride I ignored those warnings. That arrogance, coupled with the urgency of needing to be somewhere and not stopping to get the gas I needed even more, left me stalled going up the hill on East Market Street.
So there I was, stuck in the middle-of-the-road, wondering what I should do. I turned on my emergency flashers and got out of the van to signal traffic to go around me. The only problem was at 5 p.m. on East Market you need both lanes and I was blocking one. Before I could even voice prayer for help or wisdom or deliverance, it was already on the way.
The vehicle that was immediately behind me, the first vehicle to go around me in my empty shame there in the middle of the street, was a friend from church. He pulled into a parking lot just ahead of where I was stranded, and came to my rescue. Literally.
Did I mention, I was really not thinking clearly by this time?
He came directly to me and calmly encouraged me to drift off the street, this subverting sure disaster with the congestion I had created. He lived nearby and offered to run home quickly and bring me some gas to get me on my way. Even when a police officer stopped by a couple of minutes later as I awaited my friends return, I was able to reassure him that help was on the way and he quickly and quietly left me alone.
My friend returned with a couple gallons of gas. A few minutes later I was headed up East Market Street again. You must understand this was not a random act of kindness. That my friend could've ignored my need, he did not. I choose to call that encounter providential, believing fully God had placed him there for my good.
That got me thinking. How often has this happened and I was not even aware? How often has God provided a way out from a difficult, even dangerous situation before I was even aware of my need? As I try to practice the presence of God, not always doing a very good job of it by the way, I pray he will heighten my sensitivity to such provision.
When I feel empty, I need to remember that He desires to fill me up. He has fueled my soul with the invograting power of His Holy Spirit. All I nned to do is ask, and I am filled. But how often I fail to ask, drifitng along on the fumes of my flesh as it were, instead of surging ahead on the limitless energy of the Holy Spirit.
What might be the lesson in this for me, and maybe even you? As we try to move with Jesus, how often are we out of gas and he sends some help? It reminds me of the scripture, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41b There are certainly times when I do not have the capacity to do what is right [I am empty], and yet I am able to because God provides a way [He fills me up]. May that, more and more often, be not only my story but each of ours, and all for the glory of our God.
Jesus give us eyes to see You all around us. You are there and we need to see You. Then give us eyes to see You as we prepare to say goodbye to all this life holds, and hello to what the next does. Grant us peace, and open eyes. In Jesus name. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy
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