July 16, 2019
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I had to laugh as my friend Cathy told me about an experience she had at a former job, because it tells so much about how my half of the human race thinks - like men, I mean. Cathy and her boss had rented a car at the airport for a relatively short trip from the Dallas/Fort Worth airport to a nearby city. We're talking like a few minutes' drive, but not for Cathy and her boss. No, they just kept driving in circles, retracing their steps, turning around. I mean, her boss obviously did not know where he was going. So Cathy kept suggesting that he stop for directions, but, "No, I know where I'm going." Of course men always know where they're going, right? Well, she said she got to the point where she was ready to punch him if she saw this particular restaurant one more time! (Good thing she didn't!) Well, finally, four hours later, they got to their destination. Was this man lost? Uh-huh! Could he admit he didn't know where he was going? No! He's a man!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Proud - But Lost."
That's one of those frustrating things about a lot of us men. We can be lost, but too proud to ask for help. That's a mistake that has made many a man miss his destination, including the meaning of his life and even the heaven he hopes to go to when he dies. A man can be spiritually lost and even have someone in his life who is encouraging him to reach out to God, but he's too proud to do it. That can be fatal pride. Maybe you're a man like that. Well, God loves you too much to lose you, man, so He will do whatever it takes to open you up to what only He can do for you.
There's an example of this in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Kings 5, beginning with verse 1. It's the story of a powerful military leader in Bible times, a Syrian general named Naaman. The Bible says, "Naaman was a commander of the army of the king...He was great in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory..." Okay, so this is a man who has been very successful. He's a conqueror who can seemingly handle life's battles all by himself. But the Bible goes on: "He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy." In those days, leprosy was like a death sentence - something beyond his control, something he could not conquer.
So, Naaman follows a recommendation to go see God's prophet in Israel. He goes with a large military escort, loaded with treasures to help him buy a cure. But the prophet won't take his money and he tells him to go wash seven times in the muddy Jordan River if he wants to be clean. Initially, the general refuses, but his servants persuade him to reconsider. Humbling himself, the Bible says, "He went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy." More importantly, Naaman begins a relationship with God that day.
Do you know what God does with us men when we refuse to admit that we're lost without Him? In His love, He brings something into our life that we can't control or we can't fix. Maybe He's doing that for you right now. He's showing you what's actually been true all along: you're not really in control, no matter how much you thought you were.
And there's only one way to get through to God - it's got to be God's way. And that way is for a man, or woman for that matter, to come to the cross of Jesus Christ and say, "Lord, You died for the sins that I have done, and You are my only hope of being forgiven, of going to heaven. My only hope of my life being changed. I am Yours."
No, it's not a muddy river, but it's a cross where the blood of Christ was shed. That's where you get clean, that's where you get healed.
This may be your day to finally experience the love, the leadership, and the healing of Jesus for yourself. Sometimes it's not until we run into a wall that we let Jesus remove the wall between us and God. Listen, my friend, would you tell Him today, "I'm Yours."
I would love to give you some information. If I was with you personally, I would tell you what's at our website. Please go there and find there the biblical information that will help you anchor the rest of your life to Jesus. ANewStory.com is that website.
Please, don't let your pride make you lost forever.