Our Sufficiency is in HIM

When Pharaoh asked Joseph whether he could interpret dreams Joseph replies (Gen41:16) "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." Remember Joseph by then had experienced success at everything he set his hand to. Hear Jesus in John 5:19 - "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself;”. Jesus when he uttered these words was sought after for his miracles. But each of them showed total dependence on God while at the top of their game. This is what God is looking for in the man he chooses. Total dependence upon Him in everything. We are too reliant on our abilities that we handicap God to work through us. Leonard Ravenhill cried out “Brethren, our abilities are our handicaps, and our talents our stumbling blocks!” He was right because today we have smart men doing great things without God. For example with some eloquence and humour you could deliver a perfect sermon that would satisfy a crowd. You could make your church go back to their homes thinking that they worshipped God with some nice, slow, soulish music and some husky voiced singing. We are reliant on our equipment and endowments rather than the El-Shaddai. We are reliant on our own will power to overcome sin. We are reliant on psychology and crowd dynamics to ‘move’ the people and thats why our preaching is filled with gimmicks and antics. Oh for a man like John Baptist who would serve the plain diet of repentance hot to his cold hearers! Oh for a man like Paul whose religion was Christ and Christ only.

Jim Elliot entered this in his journal on October 27, 1948 – "Sufficiency in myself is a persistent thought, though I try to judge it. Lord Jesus, Tender Lover of this brute soul, wilt Thou make me weak? I long to understand Thy sufficiency and my inadequacy, and how can I sense this except in experience? So, Lord, Thou knowest what I am able to bear. Send trouble that I might know peace; send anxiety that I might know rest in Thee. Send hard things that I may learn to rely on Thy dissolving them. Strange askings, and I do not know what I speak, but “my desire is toward Thee”—anything that will intensify and make me tender, Savior. O desire to be like Thee, Thou knowest."

Lord, let me be constantly reminded of my insufficiency and of thy all-sufficient grace.

Stephen the forerunner to Paul

I’d like to think that when Stephen, being stoned after that great sermon, prayed "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit"(Acts 7:59), the Lord received his spirit and put it upon one Saul standing there. I think it was a moment like the one that happened on the banks of Jordan years ago between Elijah and Elisha (2Kings2:9). Just like how Elisha received double the portion of Elijah’s spirit (note that it was his spirit and not blessings that Elisha received as some preachers would like to preach), I would like to think that Saul standing there received double portion of the spirit of Stephen that day. Paul went on to preach blistering sermons like Stephen, he was found arguing and teaching scriptures in synagogues just like Stephen did, he was stoned once and left for dead just like Stephen, he was falsely accused and persecuted like his predecessor Stephen and finally like Stephen he died a martyr’s death. I think Stephen was a forerunner to Paul. I think when Stephen passed into glory his spirit (rather double portion of his spirit) landed on his murderer. Paul stood there that day little knowing that he would later go on to live the life that Stephen, the very man that he killed that day, would have lived. HIS ways are mysterious. Have your way in me Lord!