Coffee Stains: How to Keep God From Working In You
Author: David PorterWhen I was in Luxembourg a friend told me a story that was supposed to have happened the day World War II struck the little Grand Duchy.
A powerful German army, like a Mac truck with its motor warming, waited on the other side of the Moselle river from Luxembourg.
The order to attack came down and was put into action early in the morning of May 10, 1940. Luxembourg was a neutral country but the Germans wanted to go around the powerful forts in north France which made up the Maginot Line. Luxembourg and Belgium were the shortest line between the two points.
The Grand Duchy’s minuscule army offered no resistance. Still, when the German army began to cross the bridge over the Moselle river that divided the two countries, a strange site greeted it.
A single customs official stood before them, much like the famous Chinese student standing before the tank on Tiananmen Square, I suppose. He cried, ‘Halt!’
Well, he was courageous but it helps to be courageous WITH a large army behind you and his bravado didn’t change a lot. According to the story that I heard, he passed the war in a work camp in Germany.
One man can’t stop an army , can he?
Incredibly Strange
Let me tell you something strange, one man can stop the powerful hand of the God who created the universe from working in his life ! I know it sounds outlandish but a little earthworm like me can keep God from accomplishing what He wants to do in my life.
The customs official in our story above could be us. The powerful river of God can be dammed up by a tiny ‘Halt!’ of unbelief, or fear or selfishness. ‘Stop, God!’ And he respects that.
Fear blocks so many blessings. Faith in our hearts walks hand in hand with actions that are based on that faith, so if we don’t act out our faith, we block the good things that God promises us.
How many times have we resisted God because we loved our sin more than we loved his presence and his blessing? We wanted his help and we even dared to say, ‘I don’t know why God doesn’t keep his promises in my life!’ But we knew perfectly well we were disobedient.
It’s always easier to blame God.
A little fellow like me can stop God’s action in his life??? Astounding!/ incredibly sad.
It’s so dangerous to adopt that attitude.
‘If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand ”I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you- ” For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” (Proverb 1 :23, 24 26, 32, 33, NIV)
It’s evident that the writer of the Proverb is speaking of those who don’t follow the Lord Jesus, but we can also stop God’s working in our lives.
Watch out! Don’t do it! God comes to bless you. Let Him do it.
Hmm …
‘The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Martin Luther King