“Oh, I had a real frustration yesterday,” I began.
“What was going on?” Stan asked.
“I had an appointment at the doctor to have something checked. I was late because I hadn’t allowed enough time. As I was hurrying on that back road through the park, I came upon a person who was driving very slowly. As I was behind him I noticed that he had a bumper sticker that said something like, ‘The closer you get the slower I go’.”
“Oh,” Stan replied, “one of them! That can be real frustrating.”
“Especially when I’m in a hurry. It’s like he was saying, ‘Who do you think you are trying to push me to go faster.”
“How did it all end?” Stan asked.
“I slowed down and let some distance get between us. After a few minutes of that, the fellow turned off and I was able to get to the doctor just a little bit late.”
“Good,” Stan replied. “You know this whole thing about ‘Who do we think we are,’ raises an interesting point I ran across the other day.”
“What’s that?”
“The tenth and the eleventh chapters of the Book of Acts,” Stan replied, “have a lesson on this for me. Those chapters lay out what happened with a man named Cornelius and the Apostle Peter as they interacted with God and with one another.”
“The result,” he continued, “was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles.”
“As I remember that story a little bit,” I replied, “didn’t that cause some problems with some of the disciples who didn’t think the Holy Spirit was for the Gentiles?”
“It certainly did,” Stan said, “and it caused some of them to take issue with Peter about it. And that’s the point I think provides a good lesson.”
“How so?” I asked.
“When Peter explained what had happened with Cornelius and that God had given the Gentles the same gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter asked, ‘Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?’”
Continuing, he added, “That’s the same question the Holy spirit asks me at times, and one that I need to ask myself: ‘Who do I think I am that I can stand in the way of what God wants to do?’”
“It’s essential,” Stan concluded, “that I get me out of God’s way in everything He wants to do in and through me. He’s God and I’m not. I am to get out of His way and join Him in whatever He is doing.”
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Bible verses to consider:
If God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way? Acts of the Apostles 11:17.
And so in the present case, I (Gamaliel) say to you, “stay away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or action should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” Acts of the Apostles 5:38-39.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for all you do and for all you want to do in and through me. Please forgive all of the times I have stood in your way by not denying self and getting out of your way. I ask that you move in me to open me to be willing at all times and in all circumstances to get out of your way so you can work and move in and through me without me trying to hinder what you want to do. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Do you think it’s possible to stand in God’s way of what He wants to do? Why or why not? Have you ever stood in God’s way by deliberately choosing not to obey what He indicated you were to obey? If so, how did that turn out? If you would like to not stand in God’s way in anything He wants to do in and through you, how is that going to happen? Can you do it on your own? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 