Week 32—Saturday John 15:5-8
John 15:5-8
“THEN WE GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT”
Someone asked George Williams, the founder of the YMCA, what was the secret of the success of the movement and he replied, “Well, if there is any secret it may be found in this: We see a need, we pray about it and then we go out and do something about it.” That last was the Word become flesh—hence power. Without that last they would have been like the well-fed geese who made as though they were going to take off and fly, marched up and down, flapped their wings a few times, and then returned to their feeding.
Some rich Hindus were sent off with bands and banners from Hyderabad to walk on a pilgrimage to Banaras. They got the send-off, walked out about ten miles, returned at nightfall, took the train in comfort to Banaras! It was the word of foot pilgrimage become word.
Another Hindu promised before his god in the presence of his wife that he would give half the crop if the god would give a good crop. His wife shook him by the shoulder and whispered, “That’s too much.” The husband replied by sticking out his tongue and wiggling it—the sign: “I don’t mean it!” The word of promise become word. We do that too. We promise God our “all” and it turns out to be “some.” Or we are like the youth who prayed, “Tell me, O God, what you want me to do and I’ll do it.” And then added, “I hope it will be in an advisory capacity!” Or we pray the prayer of Isaiah, thus, “Here am I, Lord, send him!”
On the other hand, there are those like “Brother Bryan” of Birmingham, Alabama, the patron saint of that city, who listened to a speaker telling how to win people to Christ, stood it as long as he could, left the meeting, went across the street, sat down with a workman who was eating his lunch, and led him to Christ. The word of soul-winning became flesh. The Scripture says, “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed . . .” (Mark 4:3). He did what he came out to do—he sowed. Some preachers go into the ministry to win souls and stay in to win applause and commendation.
O Blessed Redeemer, redeem me from an intoxication of words that stop me this side of putting them into action. May I be long on deeds and short on words. And may all words that are true become true through action. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I am committed to the Word become flesh; let me be an illustration of my committal.