One of the more powerful stories I've come
across recently was from a sermon I listened to by Jackie Pullinger, called God Uses Foolish Things. She has a really good point in there that I want to share
with you. She was working in a drug rehab, and introducing people to Jesus. She
wouldn't preach to them, or read the bible to them, she would just introduce
them to Him, and pray for them, and wait for the Holy Spirit to talk to them. In
response to hearing Him, these drug addicts would then give their lives to
Jesus.
They would stay at the rehab house with her
to help get off drugs, and they would then go through the bible. But she
wouldn't teach the bible to them, she would discuss the stories in the gospels,
and get them to discuss it with each other. Around three days after introducing
them to Jesus, she would get to the parable of the man who finds a treasure in
the field, sells all he has and buys the field (Matthew 13:44). Then they would
discuss this parable. So, she would ask them, "Do you think you understand this
story?", they'd say yes. "So then, tell me, who is the man in the parable, and
what is the treasure?" She says, 100% of the time these men who had had no
theological teaching, often no teaching whatsoever, in fact, would respond
"Well, Jesus is the man, and I am the treasure." Which she says is theologically
correct, unless you think you can buy God. I thought that they would reply the
other way around, because that's the way I've been taught it by a pastor. Or a
man. They have never been taught it by man, they only have the Holy Spirit to
listen to for understanding.
When I heard this, I was quite astonished
when I reflected on how I read the bible. I often will be reading a passage with
a particular sermon in mind, and not be clearing my mind and waiting for Christ
to reveal to me His heart behind the words. I just thought how I need to start
reading the bible over in a completely new way. With God. It was Him that wrote
it, He is the Word, and He is living in me. Surely something should be able to
penetrate the intellect and alter the spirit?
When I depend on man, I fear that I will run
out of power, or inspiration for falling in love with God, because man is so
finite. If I forget all earthly wisdom, and depend entirely on God, I truly
believe I could, daily, get those "10 000 reasons" to fall in love with Him all over
gain.