So-Called “Common Sense”
There is an old story about a man who hiking alone up a cliff on the side of a mountain when he lost his footing and fell. Fortunately, there was the root of a tree sticking out from the cliff and he was able to grab it and hold onto it. As he was hanging there, he called out for help but there was no one to help him. So He called out to God and said, “God please help me!” A voice responded back and said, “Do you believe in me?” The man yelled back, “Yes! I believe in you!” The voice replied, “Then let go of the root and I’ll catch you.”
The man paused for a minute and yelled out, “Is there anyone else up there?”
In John chapter 11, we find Jesus at Mary and Martha’s home. Their brother Lazarus had been dead and in a tomb for 4 days. In speaking to Jesus, Martha was angry with Jesus and practically blamed Him for Lazarus’ death saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Jesus began to talk with her about the resurrection and stated unequivocally, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Martha replies “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” It seemed that her faith was solid and that Jesus had put on her on solid ground.
However, when Jesus approached Lazarus’ tomb and asked for the stone that was covering its entrance to be rolled away, she had a very telling response. “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” He asked her to perform a simple act but her “common sense” got in her way. Martha wasn’t wrong in what she said. A dead body sitting around for 4 days is bound to smell awful no matter how much fragrant oil and perfume you put on it. But Martha had jumped back into unbelief.
What Jesus asked her to do went against her common sense and she froze in inaction. But when Jesus hit her with the truth of His Word, she came to her senses and complied.
Because she put away her so-called “common sense”, she experienced the incredible power of God.
It is amazing how much like Martha that each of us can be. When God asks us to do something that goes against what we consider to be “common sense”, just like Martha, we quickly jump back into unbelief and freeze in our faith.
I have known missionaries who were being called by the Holy Spirit to the foreign mission field hesitate to go because their strong Bible-believing Christian parents refused to give their consent because they felt it should be “someone else’s child” who should go. I have known fellow Pastors whose fathers didn’t understand why their son would quit a perfectly good paying job to pack up his family and move to seminary to become a preacher of the Gospel. I have seen people who were going to give away a car to someone suddenly change their mind because they found out the car was worth more money than they originally thought. Each of these instances went against their “common sense” so they didn’t act upon the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Just like Martha, if we will dig into the Word of God and bury it deep within our hearts, His truth will silence our so-called “common sense”. When we act on what He has lead us to do, the results can be incredible!
By the way, one set of those Bible believing Christian parents who refused to consent to their daughter going to the foreign field were confronted by the Word of God a few weeks later. Confronted with God’s Truth. They gave their blessing. That young lady and her husband have since been fruitful missionaries to Northern Africa for over 20 years now. That mother drew closer to her daughter than she could have ever imagined. Both the mother and the father have seen God do amazing things through her.
When God leads you to do something that goes against your so-called “common sense”, you might want to go ahead and act. You never know what incredibly supernatural event you just might experience.
These are your Words for Wednesday.
This Sunday we will have a Virtual Egg Hunt for the Ballentine Subdivision. We need everyone to be at the Ballentine Subdivision Swimming Pool parking lot at 3:30. The event will end promptly at 5:30. Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
The man paused for a minute and yelled out, “Is there anyone else up there?”
In John chapter 11, we find Jesus at Mary and Martha’s home. Their brother Lazarus had been dead and in a tomb for 4 days. In speaking to Jesus, Martha was angry with Jesus and practically blamed Him for Lazarus’ death saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Jesus began to talk with her about the resurrection and stated unequivocally, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Martha replies “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” It seemed that her faith was solid and that Jesus had put on her on solid ground.
However, when Jesus approached Lazarus’ tomb and asked for the stone that was covering its entrance to be rolled away, she had a very telling response. “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” He asked her to perform a simple act but her “common sense” got in her way. Martha wasn’t wrong in what she said. A dead body sitting around for 4 days is bound to smell awful no matter how much fragrant oil and perfume you put on it. But Martha had jumped back into unbelief.
What Jesus asked her to do went against her common sense and she froze in inaction. But when Jesus hit her with the truth of His Word, she came to her senses and complied.
Because she put away her so-called “common sense”, she experienced the incredible power of God.
It is amazing how much like Martha that each of us can be. When God asks us to do something that goes against what we consider to be “common sense”, just like Martha, we quickly jump back into unbelief and freeze in our faith.
I have known missionaries who were being called by the Holy Spirit to the foreign mission field hesitate to go because their strong Bible-believing Christian parents refused to give their consent because they felt it should be “someone else’s child” who should go. I have known fellow Pastors whose fathers didn’t understand why their son would quit a perfectly good paying job to pack up his family and move to seminary to become a preacher of the Gospel. I have seen people who were going to give away a car to someone suddenly change their mind because they found out the car was worth more money than they originally thought. Each of these instances went against their “common sense” so they didn’t act upon the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Just like Martha, if we will dig into the Word of God and bury it deep within our hearts, His truth will silence our so-called “common sense”. When we act on what He has lead us to do, the results can be incredible!
By the way, one set of those Bible believing Christian parents who refused to consent to their daughter going to the foreign field were confronted by the Word of God a few weeks later. Confronted with God’s Truth. They gave their blessing. That young lady and her husband have since been fruitful missionaries to Northern Africa for over 20 years now. That mother drew closer to her daughter than she could have ever imagined. Both the mother and the father have seen God do amazing things through her.
When God leads you to do something that goes against your so-called “common sense”, you might want to go ahead and act. You never know what incredibly supernatural event you just might experience.
These are your Words for Wednesday.
This Sunday we will have a Virtual Egg Hunt for the Ballentine Subdivision. We need everyone to be at the Ballentine Subdivision Swimming Pool parking lot at 3:30. The event will end promptly at 5:30. Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
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