Thursday, February 28, 2008             

How Will They Know Series

 

 Mark 5:27 “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched his cloak….immediately she was healed.” 

 

Hey God

 

Once when Jesus was in a crowd, many were pressing in on Him.  A woman came up from the crowd and touched his cloak because she thought, “If she just touched his clothes she would be healed” and immediately she was.   She went to Jesus because she knew God would help her.   We need to help others because God has so helped us.  

 

It is the custom in our church that the children have time in our traditional services with the minister.   Children leave their seats, come to the front, and generally receive a gift that we talk about.   One Sunday I was attempting to use magic slates as an object lesson for the children.   I wanted them to realize if they made a mistake God could forgive them and wipe the slate clean.  Unfortunately the slates would not erase, the pens wouldn’t work, and the slates were falling apart in the children’s hands. 

 

That particular Sunday there were about 25 children in Children’s Time and church service was full.  No one from the congregation made the effort to come up to help me because they were paralyzed in laughter.  The more I lost control, the more they laughed.     It was our formal service so I was wearing a robe and trying to help every child at once.  This little child on the outskirts of the group in a loud treble voice addressed me and said, “Hey God!”   His salutation immediately got my attention and the congregation’s laughter.  I knelt down on his level and helped him with his slate until it worked.   He then said, “Thank you God.”  

 

Time and time again people went to Jesus.  They saw something divine in Him.    They asked Him to help them – the blind, the lame, the sick, parents of sick children, parents when their children had died – friends brought the people they loved to Jesus for Him to help them.  Because Jesus was part of the Trinity,  He had the power and the inclination to help.  

 

When people come to my office they come because they believe I will understand the wisdom of God and can give them Godly help.  It is the goal of my life to try and represent God. I try to think what the Bible teaches and instruct from that teaching.   I try to speak the words of Christ to all who seek His will.  Of course, I realize I am not Jesus.   I am, however, someone who tries to emulate Him.  

 

In a way, as Christians, we represent God as we live our lives and speak our words.   In actuality “Hey God!” is not who we are but who we emulate.   As Christians we forget that calling.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to aspire to be like you so when others look at me they feel they are seeing some of you.  Amen.