Walter B. Knight was a master Christian communicator of a generation ago. Some of the illustrations he used are just timeless. One which I told this past Sunday morning has to do with this business of our attempting to force God to abide by our will rather than our abiding by His will. Here is the story:
There was once an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.
One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right."
What makes this illustration so timeless is the fact that everyone can relate to it. We have all been guilty of trying to force the hand of God. One true mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ is that, however, is that he or she will be completely submissive to the will of God.
This was true of Jesus, Who prayed to the Father in Gethsemane (Luke 22:42), “Not my will, but yours be done." It must also be true of all who profess to follow Jesus as their Lord.
Source: Walter B. Knight’s Sermon Illustrations are considered classics. Among them are: Knight's Treasury of Illustrations, Knight's Master Book of New Illustrations, Knights Treasury of 2000 Illustrations, Knight's Master Book of 4000 Illustrations, and many others. They are readily available online at Amazon and other book store sites.
However, many of Walter B. Knight’s illustrations can be found on the internet via a simple Google search. For example, this particular story is recorded at: http://www.familytimes.net/illustration/Alienated/200207/.
There was once an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.
One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right."
What makes this illustration so timeless is the fact that everyone can relate to it. We have all been guilty of trying to force the hand of God. One true mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ is that, however, is that he or she will be completely submissive to the will of God.
This was true of Jesus, Who prayed to the Father in Gethsemane (Luke 22:42), “Not my will, but yours be done." It must also be true of all who profess to follow Jesus as their Lord.
Source: Walter B. Knight’s Sermon Illustrations are considered classics. Among them are: Knight's Treasury of Illustrations, Knight's Master Book of New Illustrations, Knights Treasury of 2000 Illustrations, Knight's Master Book of 4000 Illustrations, and many others. They are readily available online at Amazon and other book store sites.
However, many of Walter B. Knight’s illustrations can be found on the internet via a simple Google search. For example, this particular story is recorded at: http://www.familytimes.net/illustration/Alienated/200207/.