To give or not to give?
Years ago I heard about this story, it still has influence over me when it comes to giving. I might not recall all the detail right, but basically it goes like this:
Someone walked past a train station one day where there're lots of beggars around. She felt the Lord spoken in her spirit to take one of them home. She did. She took the beggar home, fed, sheltered her and blessed her. The beggar was so touched and moved by her generosity and love and was saved and transformed.
The second time she walked past the train station again, and she felt the Lord spoken to her once again. She did the same thing, and the same thing happened again: the beggar got saved.
The third time she walked past the train station. Overwhelmed by the joy of the previous experience, she just rushed to someone and took the beggar home, neglecting that the Lord didn't speak to her this time. And she got robbed.
When we're partnering with God, we have to be sensitive and obedient to his every move and direction. Moses made a big mistake by striking the rock twice. He missed out on the promised land because he did something that the Lord hasn't told him to do.
And how many times have we made the same mistakes? How many times do we rush out to do something out of frustration and impatience? and missing out the Lord's promise and provision after all?
Oh, mercy!
Friday, October 24, 2003
