While out walking earlier this week, I happened upon a rural mail carrier backing out of a driveway. As he did, he rolled down his window and asked me which of the two adjacent mailboxes, one an odd number and one an even number, was for the house he was at, and which was for the one across the street.
I did some quick processing, and answered that since I lived on that side of the road and since my address had an even number, then I would assume the even number applied to the house he was at, and the odd number applied to the address across the road. No sooner had I said this than I realized that I was no longer on the road on which I live, but instead off on an adjacent one. Thus, I could not guarantee which mailbox went with which address.
He said he was attempting to deliver a package and did not know where to leave it. In response, I asked if he was permitted to give me a name instead of an address. He replied with the name, which I immediately recognized. Because I knew the recipient, I was able to point the carrier across the street to the proper recipient.
He thanked me; and we each went our separate ways. As I strolled along, I reflected on the impromptu experience, as well as its application for my life as a believer.
Mail carriers are charged with delivering correspondence, be it letters or packages. In effect, therefore, they deliver messages. Most of the time, they do their job with quiet efficiency. But on occasion they require a little assistance. In this case, I was glad to assist the carrier, who was new and still earning the route. Working together, with each off us doing his respective part, the message he carried was successfully delivered.
Of course, he played a far larger role than I did. After all, I assisted on only one delivery; and he doubtless had hundreds to make this very day. What is more, I am not technically employed to make deliveries. It was therefore not my job in the sense that it was his. Hence, I am not obligated to deliver the message per the creed of the U. S. Postal Service, which states “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”.
Nonetheless, this did not change the fact that I have a moral obligation to assist my fellow man whenever I have the opportunity. And for this reason, given the opportunity to assist a postal carrier, I responded eagerly and supportively.
Now, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am also involved in delivering a message. Only this time, the correspondence I help to deliver is not of this world. It is the message of the Gospel; and it is Heaven sent. And while I may not be a professional evangelist, charged with delivering that message full-time, as it were, I am still obligated to help see that this message is delivered whenever it is within my power to do so.
What is more, on occasion, there may be times when I am able to help secure that delivery even when a professional evangelist is unable to do so. Granted, I may never deliver the message to as many people as a full-time evangelist. But on that periodic occasion when my assistance is needed, I pray that I will always be both sensitive to and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to speak up and get involved.
In the Old Testament Book of Second Kings (chapter 19, verses 1-14), the story is recounted about Naaman, a mighty commander of the army of the king of Aram, whose only flaw was that he suffered from leprosy. He tried everything he knew, but was unable to overcome the disease. One day, knowing that she held the key to his healing, an Israelite slave girl in his household spoke up and told him about a mighty prophet named Elisha in the land of Israel.
Thereafter, Naaman journeyed to see the prophet, who told him to dip in the Jordan River seven times. After doing so, Naaman was completely healed. Clearly, Naaman’s healing came about as a result of hearing and responding to the words of the prophet Elisha. But it is arguable that he would never have heard and heeded that word had it not been for a little Israelite slave girl who first had the courage to speak up and share the message he needed to hear from her.
You, like me, may not be a full-time professional evangelist. But that does not mean that you and I do not have the responsibility to speak up and do our respective part in leading people to the Lord. The little Israelite slave girl could have chosen no to speak up. I, too, could have chosen not to speak up earlier this week. But what would have been the result if either of us failed to do so?
Given this, may we ever be faithful to speak up and share the message God has given us! Doing so is critical; for we never know just how the life of the recipient of that message may be changed as a result!
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/2_kings/5.htm.
I did some quick processing, and answered that since I lived on that side of the road and since my address had an even number, then I would assume the even number applied to the house he was at, and the odd number applied to the address across the road. No sooner had I said this than I realized that I was no longer on the road on which I live, but instead off on an adjacent one. Thus, I could not guarantee which mailbox went with which address.
He said he was attempting to deliver a package and did not know where to leave it. In response, I asked if he was permitted to give me a name instead of an address. He replied with the name, which I immediately recognized. Because I knew the recipient, I was able to point the carrier across the street to the proper recipient.
He thanked me; and we each went our separate ways. As I strolled along, I reflected on the impromptu experience, as well as its application for my life as a believer.
Mail carriers are charged with delivering correspondence, be it letters or packages. In effect, therefore, they deliver messages. Most of the time, they do their job with quiet efficiency. But on occasion they require a little assistance. In this case, I was glad to assist the carrier, who was new and still earning the route. Working together, with each off us doing his respective part, the message he carried was successfully delivered.
Of course, he played a far larger role than I did. After all, I assisted on only one delivery; and he doubtless had hundreds to make this very day. What is more, I am not technically employed to make deliveries. It was therefore not my job in the sense that it was his. Hence, I am not obligated to deliver the message per the creed of the U. S. Postal Service, which states “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”.
Nonetheless, this did not change the fact that I have a moral obligation to assist my fellow man whenever I have the opportunity. And for this reason, given the opportunity to assist a postal carrier, I responded eagerly and supportively.
Now, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am also involved in delivering a message. Only this time, the correspondence I help to deliver is not of this world. It is the message of the Gospel; and it is Heaven sent. And while I may not be a professional evangelist, charged with delivering that message full-time, as it were, I am still obligated to help see that this message is delivered whenever it is within my power to do so.
What is more, on occasion, there may be times when I am able to help secure that delivery even when a professional evangelist is unable to do so. Granted, I may never deliver the message to as many people as a full-time evangelist. But on that periodic occasion when my assistance is needed, I pray that I will always be both sensitive to and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to speak up and get involved.
In the Old Testament Book of Second Kings (chapter 19, verses 1-14), the story is recounted about Naaman, a mighty commander of the army of the king of Aram, whose only flaw was that he suffered from leprosy. He tried everything he knew, but was unable to overcome the disease. One day, knowing that she held the key to his healing, an Israelite slave girl in his household spoke up and told him about a mighty prophet named Elisha in the land of Israel.
Thereafter, Naaman journeyed to see the prophet, who told him to dip in the Jordan River seven times. After doing so, Naaman was completely healed. Clearly, Naaman’s healing came about as a result of hearing and responding to the words of the prophet Elisha. But it is arguable that he would never have heard and heeded that word had it not been for a little Israelite slave girl who first had the courage to speak up and share the message he needed to hear from her.
You, like me, may not be a full-time professional evangelist. But that does not mean that you and I do not have the responsibility to speak up and do our respective part in leading people to the Lord. The little Israelite slave girl could have chosen no to speak up. I, too, could have chosen not to speak up earlier this week. But what would have been the result if either of us failed to do so?
Given this, may we ever be faithful to speak up and share the message God has given us! Doing so is critical; for we never know just how the life of the recipient of that message may be changed as a result!
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/2_kings/5.htm.