GOD STILL SPEAKS

This article was circulated in our men’s Bible study and I thought it was worth reflecting on:

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had talked about listening to God and obeying the Lord’s voice. The young man couldn’t help but wonder, “Does God still speak to people?”

After the service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several of the group talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o’clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he began to pray, “God… If you still
speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.”

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought: Stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, “God is that you?” He didn’t get a reply and started on toward home. But again, came the thought: Buy a gallon of milk.

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn’t recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. “Okay, God, in case that is you,” the young man said, “I will buy the milk.”

It didn’t seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and a convenience store and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge: Turn down that street. “This is crazy,” he thought, as he drove past the intersection.

Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, “Okay, God, I will.”

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semicommercial area of town. It wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst of neighborhoods either.

The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something: Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.

The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. “Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look
stupid.”Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk to the people in the house. Finally, he opened the door of his car. “Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the house and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count
for something. But if they don’t answer right away, I’m out of here.”

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man’s voice yelled out, “Who is it? What do you want?” Then the door opened before the young man could get away. A man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he’d just gotten out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn’t seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. “What is it?” he asked. The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, “Here, I brought this to you.” The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her
holding a baby. The baby was crying.

The man had tears streaming down his face as he turned to his unexpected
visitor. The man began speaking and half crying, “We were just praying. We
had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn’t have any
milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get
some milk.”

His wife in the kitchen called out, “I asked Him to send an angel with some.
Are you an angel?”

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had
with him and put in the man’s hand. He turned and walked back to his car,
with tears rolling down his cheeks. He knew that God still answers prayers
and that God still speaks to His people.

Be Grateful Unto the Lord!

* Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight; Just remember the
homeless family who has no bed to lie in.

* Should you find yourself stuck in traffic; don’t despair. There are people
in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

* Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of
work for the last three months.

* Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who
has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.

* Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in
dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for $15.00 to
feed her family.

* Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance, Think
of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

* Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer
patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

* Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering; what is life all about,
what is my purpose? Be thankful, there are those who didn’t live long enough
to get the opportunity.

* Should you find yourself the victim of other people’s bitterness,
ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You
could be them!!!

If you’re running behind time-wise, perhaps this article from ONLY YOU CAN
MAKE YOU HAPPY by John Tormey may be helpful: “The Book of Sirach reminds
us: “Be moderate in all your activities and illness will not overtake you.”
Anxiety and lack of peace is an illness.

A person at peace has come to grips with his limitations of time, energy,
and talent. He realizes that he is only human and must measure out his life
gradually. We all have big plans but we are also conditioned by limitations.
When we awake each morning we should not overplan our daily schedule. We
should keep some distance between our plans so that we will have time and
energy to accomplish them.”