minister5writes

I saw a young girl (same cultural background as myself) walking from the local university with loads and loads of bags and a large canvas suitcase. She was struggling to manage her load, the suitcase kept swinging between her legs, tripping her up.

Almost to my detriment, I stopped and parked up, straddling the yellow lines in the 5:00 pm traffic. I got out and ran towards her lifting my boot in anticipation. I asked her where she was going, she said to the next shop to get some money to go to the station – I asked her if she wanted a lift, she said No.

I walked back to my car and watched as she went on stumbling. I got a sense she had been ejected from somewhere or in some turmoil. I sat and wound down the window as she passed and said ‘are you sure you don’t want a lift ?’

She unplugged her earphones from her ears and said “No” despite me saying I’m a Christian , work for the Council -showing my official badge. I got back in my car and turned into my road and headed for home, thinking how sad – (i) sad she was struggling and (ii) sad she refused the help. I thought to myself , I don’t think I look like a mass murderer.

I am in my bed pondering the events of the day. This event came back to me. It reminds me of God reaching out to us time and time again on our way, on our journey – wanting to lift our load and we refuse even, though we are struggling.

I thought of how many times I have seen needs (even in our own local church) and offered to help, but the response is No. I remembered once ministering to a sick person overseas and the Lord revealed they were offended at the suggestion that they can be healed – they wanted to stay sick as it had pecuniary advantages for them.

Sometimes God brings someone into our lives to pour into us, but because of pride or because it doesn’t look like what we think that help should be, we reject. I remember when I was a young girl in my 20’s (part of a church but not surrendered to God). I was seeing an individual and in sexual sin because this was outside marriage. The Lord sent a prophet to my door. She accurately described the young man I was seeing, (she was not from my home town). She brought a stern message to me from the Lord. I was bemused by this, but I would not listen .. at the time. I wanted to have my cake and eat it, as they say. I wanted to have my fella and ‘keep house’, like everyone else was doing at the time.

I remembered the scripture the prophet Isaiah brought to the children of Israel :

….. All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Romans 10:21.

But they would not.

Jesus’ own lament in Matthew 3:27

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!……”.

God sent his son at detriment and peril for us , but we often refuse. He keeps sending sons and daughters from Mount Zion, his prophets , his saviours, who are constantly rebuffed and rejected.

We are a chosen, but stiff necked generation and full of pride. But the bible says ‘Today, if you hear my voice harden not your heart’ .We need to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, recognise where we are falling short and so that in due time he will lift us up. Don’t keep looking a gift horse in the mouth ..!

The bible says ‘Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper’ 2Chronicles 20:20

Finally it says: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptised for the remission of your sins. Acts 2:38

Song

What manner of man is this Hallelujah