How Obedience Blessed Her

By Apostle Stephen Adonai

Mr and Mrs Jones were key leaders in the Church down the road. Both were business professionals. As a Sunday school teacher, Mrs Jones was very knowledgeable in the scripture and taught with passion, power and compassion. But like every dedicated Christian, she had her struggles and challenges in her Christlike walk with God and determination to keep growing spiritually and otherwise.

Now, Mrs Jones just won a contract with a fairly prosperous firm, the least of the three firms she sent bids. Though she’s been trusting the Lord for the first firm’s remarkably big business.

This morning, she woke up in a bad mood. Her mind bombarded with every negative thought and pressure under the sun! Discouraged, distracted, distressed, and stressed, she didn’t feel like praying, planning or preparing for work. She wanted to be left alone alone to consummate her pity party in bed all day, especially since it was raining.

Before long, Mrs Jones was spilling torrents of negative words out of the abundance of her heart! ” I hate winter and this rain, why should it rain today?” “Why should I travel so far to work?” “Why should my husband wake me up so early each morning?” “Lord, why don’t you provide more teachers in our Church?” Blah, blah, blah!

However, Mr Jones, her husband, managed to get his frustrated wife into the car and off they drove to work in the wet, cold, rainy and cloudy morning. Still in her grumpy, grouchy and grumbling mode, suddenly, they spotted the figure of a young man just ahead, running in the rain!
“Oh my” exclaimed Mrs Jones, as they approached the runner. “It must be such a terrible experience drenched and cold in the rain!”, obviously trying to work up some excuse to justify her current attitude.

But, as they drove past the runner, they turned to look at his face. He had a warm smile. His countenance glowing and radiant with joy, though soaked and wet all over. Now Mrs Jones was feeling embarrassed, uncomfortable, guilty and sober, thinking, “Here am I in the comfort of a well heated, comfortable car, protected from every harsh weather element, being driven to work like a queen by my loving, handsome and patient husband; and over here, running on the road side totally exposed to the harsh weather condition is someone having a time of his life. ‘Lord, forgive my ingratitude, selfishness, impatience and childishness. I’m ashamed of myself!”

Tears streaming down her face, repentant and humbled, she asked her husband to pull up ahead, so she could have a brief chat with this amazing youth.

“This runner must be some highly committed, sold out and mature Christian probably from a bigger, better Church than ours” she wondered.

Mr Jones pulled into the road side. In a while the youth ran up and was just making it past them when Mrs Jones called out to him,

“Hey, I am sure the rain is messing up the fun in your exercise. It’s been such a nasty weather you know?” Trying to win the runner’s support to pacify her guilty conscience.

“Not at all” answered the the runner, now beaming with an infectious smile, revealing the joy from inside. Then he added.
“I think it’s good to appreciate and enjoy the variety of weather conditions we’re blessed with”
“Yes, of course” Mrs Jones blurted out, caught off guard but pressed to know more about this optimistic stranger.
“It’s obvious that you know the Lord Jesus Christ so personally to have that perspective of life. How long have you been a Christian and where do you worship?”
The runner looked surprised as he replied and said, “I’m sorry, I’m not a Christian, though I have heard a bit about Jesus Christ.

At that point Mr and Mrs Jones knew in their hearts that the Lord had given them two opportunities. The first, was to share the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ with this spiritually hungry young man. The second, was the opportunity for Mrs Jones to repent and forsake her carnality and get more spiritually mature and stable. That would restore a cordial relationship with the Lord.

Handing the runner a tract about the Good News and writing down his phone number, Mr Jones thanked him for his time and promised to keep praying for him and get in touch soon. Meanwhile, Mrs Jones quietly but earnestly repented of her ungrateful, selfish and impatient attitude and disposition. Suddenly, she felt more prompting of the Holy Spirit to forgive her mother in law, her cousin and two of her colleagues in the office, and then her younger brother, of previous clashes and confrontations. Unforgiveness, strife and bitterness are such terrible weights, she thought.

1John1:8-10.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

1 John 2:1,2.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now at the office, feeling so relieved, grateful, thankful and forgiven, Mrs Jones was overwhelmed with emotions, amazed at how much happened that morning. From a full, depressing gloomy morning to a joyful, peaceful and exciting day. But it was still raining and cloudy. What a powerful, healing and delivering tool obedience to God’s Word is, irrespective of how we feel. It says:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

THANKS, LORD JESUS!

Then, the phone rang. The call wasn’t from the company she was to close the deal that morning. But, from the first and the biggest of the three companies she sent bids. This was the company that rejected her bid few days ago!

“Good morning, Mrs Jones” said the caller. “We’re sorry we turned down your bid earlier. Based on a unanimous decision in an impromptu management meeting the past couple of hours, we’re happy to award you the contract and pay 75 percent of the total cost, and the balance 25 percent when you complete 50 percent of the deal. You will receive the details and necessary documents by mail in two days. Congratulations!

Trembling with excitement, Mrs Jones called her husband to break the incredible news. She knew that her passing the test of obedience and repentance from God, moments ago, was only the beginning of many spiritual and physical promotions and blessings from the Lord. And this huge business deal was just a tip on the iceberg. Hallelujah!

Deuteronomy 28:1,2.
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God.

Steve is a totally committed minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is so blessed and highly favored to be a part of God’s team called to perfect and edify the body of Christ in addition to propagating the Good News! When he gets inspired, which happens quite often, he loves to write lovely, healing and powerful words from God as led by the Holy Spirit.