I’ve been testing God. I’ve been seeing if he can be taken at His word. He says He wants to work in me and through me. How can a person struggling with his own issues do anything for anyone else? Those feelings of inadequacy are a tool in the hands of the Enemy to keep me from important things on God’s agenda for the day. That agenda has everything to do with investing in things for the sake of His Kingdom.
So this morning I made a promise. One of the most dangerous prayers you can pray is “God, give me an opportunity to do something for you today.” It’s dangerous because He will. Most of our time we spend insulating ourselves from the pain and difficulty of others – at least I have.
This morning I knew that I would be heading downtown Denver for a meeting. I asked for God to give me an opportunity to minister to someone in some way. My radar was up. I was looking. And then I saw him, with cardboard sign in hand with the words “Anything will help” scrawled across it. I approached him and extended my hand. “My name is Allan. What’s yours?”
“Mike. My name is Mike.” I think he was a little taken aback that I asked his name. I’ve given money to the homeless before but I have never made it a habit of asking who they are. I slipped a few dollars in his hand and said that I hope that it would help. Then I upped the ante. “Mike, is there anything I can pray for you about?” Without hesitation he said, “I need a place to live.” We then talked for a few minutes about how he stays at the Denver Rescue Mission when there is room. He talked about the program that he was enrolled in but that it takes usually about 5 months for a place to open up. I prayed with him right there on the street corner that he would find shelter soon and a home base from which to rebuild.
Then as we were about to part company I told him “Keep going to the Mission. Listen to what they have to say.”
“Oh, I believe”, he said. It totally caught me off guard. I went from standing next to a stranger to a brother. What blurted out of my mouth sort of caught me by surprise. “Why do you believe when you have no place to live?”
“God doesn’t owe me anything.”
His words penetrated my heart. I went out today to be salt and light. I sought to do something for the good of God’s Kingdom. And in the process I get a laser in one sentence back to me. A stronghold was pulled down today and God’s Kingdom was advanced – in my own heart. I can’t wait till tomorrow.
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A beautiful message, Allan. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading Jodee!
Wow…I needed to hear what he said too. God doesn’t owe me anything either…including physical healing.
Love the blog, Allan.
He doesn’t owe us anything, but I still sought divine intervention for a place to live. And its ok to ask our heavenly Daddy for some relief from physical pain. “Daddy, my sister has really been hurting, and a lot more as of late. You say to ask, so I am. Please grant her relief and your grace that is sufficient in every situation. We love you. – Amen”
I once heard that when we were in those bad, rough places in life that the question we should be asking isn’t Why Me? but Why not me? Thanks for the reminder we don’t get what we deserve and God doesn’t owe us a thing, we owe Him.
Well said Cari. Thank you for reading. Now I’m sitting here trying to answer that question for myself. Why not me. 🙂
Beth shared your blog with me. I wanted to say ‘thank you’ for sharing what you learned with us. What true and deep words…
Dana, Thank you for taking the time to read them! I do appreciate it. The goal is to encourage each other to keep on keeping on especially as we see the day approaching. Peace. 🙂
Holy Beans daddy! That is amazing! Thank you for posting that!
Thank you Ruthie. I learn my risk taking from you. 🙂