Malachi 4:2 (ESV) 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Read Pastor Doug's message on No Good Thing,timely message and fits perfectly with what happened to me this week. May be a little long today please bear with me.
Priceless. Remember the commercial? It went something like this. Dinner at The Four Seasons $250.00. Cruise to the Caribbean $1500.00. Look on your son's face when he gets to meet his all time favorite sports legend.............PRICELESS!! Let(name the credit card,I don't remember) make it all possible. Remember that one? That above verse came to mind as I enjoyed one of those priceless moments this week past.
I saw a man so ecstatic about something that God did for him that he reminded me of a young calf or horse when they get let out of the stall to run. You know how they do. They run and jump and frolic about. Absolutely thrilled to be free. That's the picture that came to mind as my friend told me his story. Let me start at the beginning.
I have mentioned my friend Shields a time or two in my posts. Shields is a former neighbor of mine whom God got a hold of a few years back. God Almighty has changed this man's life. Let me stop here and get this off my chest. People can disagree with your doctrine, they can disagree with your confession or the way you choose to worship God,they can disagree with your lifestyle ......on and on and on.But let me tell you something... the one fact that they can't disagree with is the POWER of a life that GOD has changed from the inside out. And when GOD decides to bless you as HE did my friend this week past,it closes the mouth of all the critics,boo birds in the cheap seats and naysayers. Amen?? Now.....I feel better. Read on,it gets much better.
About three years ago my friend Shields and myself along with my wife Shelley decided to start meeting once a week for about an hour to do nothing but pray. We would come together on Tuesday evening and pray for all sorts of things.Our needs ,wants and whatnot. But,mainly it was intercessory in nature. We especially focused on our children. Shield's children,my children,Shelley's children. Well,time progressed and we got many answers to prayer. Then not too long ago Shields who is in his late 70's had a couple of mini strokes(mini??) Anyway,the strokes,while not debilitating,slowed him down a good deal. We had been faithful in prayer on those Tuesday evenings,but after the strokes it changed. Not being able to get around as easily, Shields became some what of a shut-in. He did not have many visitors during the week and had gone down hill physically,so our hour of prayer slowly became an hour of visitation and fellowship. Nothing wrong with that.We talked about world events,politics,Jesus whatever. But,the fact remained that we were not praying on Tuesday night anymore. And herein lieth the lesson.
As I told you we prayed for our children in these times. What I didn't tell you is that Shields had not seen or talked to any of his three boys in TWENTY THREE YEARS. You heard me......TWENTY THREE YEARS. Not as much as a word. He wanted so badly to be able to reestablish contact with them; but,it seemed that it just wasn't in the cards. A lot of water under the bridge,and better left alone. Or so Shields thought.
As is my custom, I go over there Wednesday afternoon(our time has changed also) to see Shields for our weekly visit.I sit down and he asks me a couple of questions about his cable bill and what not, then he says he has something he wants to tell me. O.K. I say..shoot.
Very nonchalantly he tells me that he went to church this past Sunday. Enjoyed seeing the people,music was good,Pastor had a good message you know the usual small talk.Then he says after he got home,and while he was standing at the kitchen sink,he heard a knock on his door. Understand,Shields is totally blind in one eye and has about 40 % vision in the other. So,as he is walking to the door he is trying to see who it is,but can only make a shape out. He opens the door,the figure still a blurry blur. The person before him says,"You don't know me do you?" Shields trying to put the voice with a face responds with "No,I'm sorry I don't." The blur then says "I'm Chris Templeton your son." ...................
Stunned silence. Not really knowing what to do or say,Shields awkwardly invites this man whom he has not seen in TWENTY THREE YEARS into his home.The young man starts to unravel a tale about why he is there. A story that only GOD ALMIGHTY could have put together. Those details aren't important,but,it seems that after twenty three years,Chris has now moved to Knoxville and lives about 10 minutes from his father. He's married with a good job and wants as he puts it"to get to know his Dad." Wait there's more.
Chris as he is introducing his wife to her Father-In Law.informs him that he will be traveling back to Murfreesboro to get Shields Jr. and Kevin. He is going to get his brothers and they are going to have a family reunion of sorts. As Shields tells it,He was so overwhelmed at it all that he questioned Chris about whether his brothers would even want to see him. Chris,Shields said, flexed his arm muscles and jokingly said "they had better."
Well,I'm sitting there,jaw hanging open,and I notice something. Shields has been telling this very matter of factly,for "dramatic effect" he said.(smile) But,as he pauses I see tears welling up in his eyes,and here is my point. He says" Ronnie,I have been sitting here since Sunday afternoon and all I can get out to God is "Thank You." I am so overwhelmed they are the only words I have. You don't know how many times I have told Him that over the past three days. I don't have the words to express what I feel. All I can say is Thank You.""
Then he asks me if I want to now what he is thinking at that exact moment. I tell him that I think do but I want him to tell me anyway.Very matter of factly he says"we need to start praying again." I agree and next week Shields and I will get back to praying
Brothers and sisters, God answers prayer. Even when you have stopped praying for a season! I am still as I write this,MARVELLING at how good our God is.Let me tell you something. If nothing else happens to my friend until the day God calls him home,Shields Templeton no longer thinks that God loves him and hears his prayers...no,no.Shields KNOWS that God hears and loves him and that He truly does reign in the earth.
Every single one of us needs to get alone before the Lord Of Hosts and pour our heart out to Him. As my friend Pastor Doug says, He will withhold no good thing.
Psalm 84:11 (ESV) 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 126:1-3 (ESV) 1
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
God Bless
No comments:
Post a Comment