Tabernacles Central

It Is I Doing God’s Will That We Obey

One fine day God spoke to a man named Jerry.  Jerry was a devout believer and always walked very carefully before the Lord.  On the day that God visited Jerry, his neighbor Samantha, an older lady with no family, had run out of food and unfortunately, her social security check would not come for another two days.

God said to Jerry, “I want you to go to the grocery store and buy two sacks of groceries for your neighbor Samantha and then take them to her before 6 pm.”  Jerry, hearing God’s still small voice in his heart wondered at this strange request and puzzled at its true meaning.  As 5 pm approached Jerry searched the scriptures seeking two verses which could act as witnesses for what he felt that God had told Him. 

To obey is better that study

He did a word study on faith and then one on the terms “Spirit Led”.   Jerry wondered if he should call his pastor and ask council about meeting a single woman alone. Perhaps, he thought, it was wise to take a sister in the Lord with him and he wondered whom he could call.  Finally, Jerry was having anxiety about how his actions would be perceived and imagined in exquisite detail the embarrassment he might feel if his act of giving was taken wrongly.

By the time Jerry worked through all these different processes the time was 8 PM.  Surely, Jerry reasoned, going to Samantha’s house so late would be inappropriate and might be taken wrongly if His neighbors saw him at her door.  Therefore, Jerry decided that for the sake of avoiding the appearance of evil and to maintain a good testimony he would keep the matter in prayer and go shopping in the morning.

A vivid dream

As Jerry readied for bed Samantha knelt down beside her own bed and thanked God that He always remembered her.  Even though she had not eaten dinner she knew that God would provide and that He always made a way where there was no way.

That night Jerry had a very vivid dream.  Jerry sat at a restaurant feasting on prime rib and sitting next to him a small child.  He did not know the child but noted that the small boy was obviously hungry.  The prime rib was very delicious and as he chewed he wondered about what to do with the boy next to him.

When we delay, we disobey

Jerry woke the next morning vaguely remembering the dream and feeling oddly disturbed all morning.  He took his morning jog and ate a hasty breakfast, because he was due to golf with his work buddies at 10 AM.  On the way to his golf appointment, he remembered the goading that he had felt yesterday to take some groceries to his neighbor Samantha and felt a bit guilty that he had not obeyed.  As he pulled into the golf club he said to himself that he would go by the grocery store on his way home.

Samantha woke to an empty house and an even more empty stomach.  She again knelt down and prayed that God would meet her needs.  She said that even if God decided she needed to fast for two days until her social security check came she still thanked Him for all the many blessings she had in her life.

Is fluffy more important?

Jerry had an unusually good golf game that day and he and his friends celebrated at the country club cafe.  A good time was had by all and he felt happy and blessed by his friends.  As he drove home he thought to himself that this was a perfect day and thanked God for blessing him so much.  Walking into his house he heard the phone ring and it was his sister.  She was hysterical; her cat Fluffy was missing again!  Jerry sighed to himself but acted concerned on the phone and told his sister he would be right over to help find Fluffy.

Samantha, a bit weak now, sat in her living room watching TV trying to occupy herself to keep her mind off her hunger.  She felt ashamed that she was so poor that she could not make ends meet and even though she was hungry could not bring herself to reach out even to someone like her neighbor Jerry whom she knew a bit and seemed like a good man.  As night drew near Samantha went to bed early hoping that she could fall asleep and not feel hunger pangs until morning.

Missing God’s will as fluffy cat-napped

Fluffy, as was always the case, was not really lost but merely cat napping in an obscure place in his sister’s house.  The reunion of his sister and her cat complete, Jerry left for his home looking forward to bedtime for he was exhausted from his exciting round of golf earlier that day.  As he climbed into bed after having a late night snack he had this nagging feeling that he was forgetting something but could not put his finger on it.  Soon sleep came and Jerry drifted off to dreamland.

Others suffer because we are too busy to hear God’s voice

Samantha woke very early to her growling stomach.  She had not eaten now for almost two days and felt weak.  As she lay in bed she prayed and thanked God for His mercy and asked Him to help her make it until the mail came that day and she could cash her check and get some food.  Samantha did not even get out of bed until she heard the mail arrive.  Slowly rising and putting on her clothes, she found her check in the mail and waited for the bus to take her to town. 

After cashing her check she went shopping and bought two bags of groceries, all she could afford, and sat waiting for the bus to take her home.  As she waited she ate some bread and it tasted so good and helped to make her stomach stop grumbling.  At 6:30 pm Samantha finally made it to her door with the two sacks of food at her feet.  Just as she turned the key Jerry drove into his driveway and waved to her.  She waved back and entered her house.

Hear My Voice by Lisa Bevill

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