Banana Peels and Power

This morning I was feeding my 14 month old baby girl a banana and I saw a profound truth being displayed in front of me, I just had to share it with you.  

My little girl Addison Anne, we call her Addie, was enjoying a wholesome breakfast which included a ripe yellow banana. As I reached up and grabbed it off of the counter, she said, “nah nah” to which I replied, yes baby it is a “nah nah.” 

She smiled as I peeled back the outer layer and presented her with the exposed meat of the banana. She took a bite and then another... somewhere during her breakfast, she decided she would hold the “nah nah” and so I let her. The funny thing was, instead of getting into where the meat was, she wanted to chew on the dried stem. I told her, no and showed her the good stuff again... then I looked back and she had the stem in her mouth again. All I can think is, maybe she liked the way it felt to her teething mouth? 

As I finished helping her with breakfast I felt like the Lord shared with me the concept of this writing. 

How many times, in our walk with the Lord, do we have fulfilling and sustaining power provided to us; and rather than enjoying the meat and substance of God, we settle for just a surface and sometimes insignificant portion? 

Just as my little girl knew what the “nah nah” was, she knew what to call it, and she knew what it looked like on the outside, but even with that bit of knowledge she was happy to settle for much less than what was made available to her. 

As a 21st century Christian, we know all the right things to say, and we seem to know a great deal about God and His word, but I pose this question - how often do we really experience the portion of meat that He has planned for our lives. 

My desire is to enjoy all my Father has for my life. It may take more effort than we initially want to put forth, and it may go beyond our understanding of what we need, but there is enough power available at the hand of our Father than we could ever need if we will allow Him to feed us as He desires to. 

I don’t ever want to settle for the peeling and stems when I can enjoy the meat of the power of God. 

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I Feel Compelled to Testify

Late last night, or early this morning rather, I was praying and thanking the Lord for what he had done for me. When I begin to think how insignificant, weak, and powerless I am - and then let my mind wander into how significant, powerful and mighty he is, I am brought to tears to think that he cares for me. I feel like God impressed me to testify of his greatness and share some of what he did for me last night.

For the past several weeks I have been working on the next phase of our ministry (which includes a motor home and the selling of our home). While working on this, I would turn to different people in my life, some even on this forum, and end up with their thoughts and ideas about our future.... Most have been incredibly positive, and a few have been somewhat negative. Perhaps we should be cautious, lest we begin to sound like Job’s friends without even realizing it. Sometimes, I think we just need to let a man hear from God....

I spent a couple of hours with a wealthy retired banker this week, and as he and I talked... I became more and more down-heartened about the situation. It seems impossible. On my way home I stopped in to talk with my dad about my findings, and he simply said, “You know God does his best work when we can’t do any more.” I said, “I know this, I preach this, and I have even seen the Lord prove this concept with my own life many times.” But somehow, each time we find ourselves facing a new situation of impossibility, it seems to leave that exact same feeling of hopelessness in the pit of our stomach, just like the other times before, no matter how much faith we have in God’s ability. Well, at least I do. 

I went to church last night and was able to sit and be a part of the service since I was not out preaching anywhere... I was just enjoying myself and my night off... needing a word from the Lord, but not really expecting one. The song service was nice, and the specials were done well. When the man of God got up to preach, there were a few words of exhortation, then tongues and interpretation, twice. The second applied to me and where I am right now. The Lord kindly said to quit listening to others around you, that he was in control. I took this word to heart. 

 

I think that there is a time when we should seek out the “multitude of counsel,” maybe when we are dealing with situations or decisions with people, but not when we have a word from the Lord. He does not need the counsel or the opinion of man to bring about his word. 

I have been struggling through the thought-process of man - when to man it is literally impossible to accomplish what the Lord has given to him. 

This is the part I have been wanting to get to. Towards the end of service the minister came over and sat down beside me. He began to give me a word from the Lord, which included things like: we are in the perfect will of God, the time is right for the the things God has put in our heart, God will move on the hearts of men for the finances, that he will sell our home... wow! You talk about a God who cares for us!

I had just about decided that afternoon that we were somehow making a wrong turn, and the doors were being shut, not opened... but the Lord cared enough to stop by and vocally speak his message into my life last night. 

I just had to share my heart of joy today with someone. God is on the move and I am humbled to be a part of what he is doing. Out of the multiplied millions of people on this planet, God took time for a simple and grateful servant last night. 

I am not special; He is. I am not good; He is. I am not worthy; He is. 

Who am I, that the God of heaven and all eternity would be mindful of me, the least of servants? I am brought to my knees by the greatness of my God. 

Thank you for allowing me to share my testimony with you today.

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