Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
As many who follow may know, I have had the privilege to know the Lord for over 40 years. During those decades, He has proved Himself to be a faithful, kind and loving Savior. And as I have learned to lean on Jesus, He has shown Himself to be a merciful Savior, never wavering, even in some very dark times.
This topical series will try to provide a snapshot of an ol’ fools prayers, the weakness and selfishness of his prayers, and the ever increasing goodness of God in His responses the those prayers.
I hope my witness to the goodness and faithfulness of God will be an encouragement to those reading, and will spur us all on to a deeper, more consistent time of being in the Lord’s presence.
Please visit with me as I tell the story of a faithful God and His care for an ol’ fool. Though David considered himself a poor man, I freely admit, I am just an “ol’ fool” looking to the Lord.
THE Lord’s Supper and A BBQ
The topic for this morning includes a somewhat convoluted application of my favorite story of the great missionary Adoniram Judson. The story goes that he was in prison, with little hope of ever being let go, and was allowed to receive an article from his wife on her next visit.
What did he request? The utensils to perform the Lord’s supper. The plate for the bread, and the holder for the wine. He was in a terrible prison, with little sustenance provided. Yet he had the faith to request the utensils for the church the Lord had called him to establish in Burma.
That is the story this prayer is based on.
Now to give you some background on how my twisted little mind works. Warning – this application of the story was honored by the Lord, but it may not have been the wisest use of the great missionaries example. The Lord is good.
Nevertheless, as I have mentioned earlier in my posts, our family were guests in the USA for many years, and in our efforts to attain citizenship, we encountered many disappointments. I have mentioned how three of our children were placed in deportation for periods of time, with one deported to Canada. This story is about my third son, and our experience during his time in the federal deportation prison.
His was a lengthy stay, as the legal system was exceptionally slow, with judges being transferred, lawyers dragging their feet and prison systems seeking to keep paying customers. Months and months passed, and with every visit, we became a little less hopeful. My second son had already been removed from the county, and we knew it was very possible for it to happen again.
Each visit, we were allowed to bring some books, writing tools, and funds to transfer into his account for phone calls, and treats from the commissary.
As mentioned, his stay was lengthy, and in my readings, I saw my son in a somewhat similar condition as Mr. Judson. A hopeless situation from all appearances. And then it occurred to me in my prayers, that we had to provide a physical anchor for my son to cling to for when he got out. Not if, but for when he got out.
Ok – so what would be appropriate for my son. He was not a believer, and to provide him the utensils for the Lord’s supper would make no sense, but the spirit of Adoniram’s request could be followed. So what to do? What to do?
My son has always been a cook. He has worked the kitchen since he was eight years old, providing a thanksgiving meal for the family. Yes – at 8 years old!
So, knowing our background, our mental state of being worn down, our concern over loosing another son to a bureaucracy, and having read the story of a great missionary, our prayers went from discouragement to hopeful.
What was the anchor that we provided to our son?
I brought a picture of a fancy bbq in on a visit, held it up to the glass and told him it was being delivered this week. I told him he would be using it when he got out. He somewhat made fun, and I understand that, but as he went away from that visit, I would like to think he had some hope.
The sausage he smoked on that BBQ the first weekend he enjoyed his freedom were some of the best ever.
Thankyou Lord for working in the prayers of an ol’ fool.
Thanks for joining and Considering The Bible with me. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I look forward to hearing of the faithfulness of God in your lives.
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