During our month in Cambodia, in the afternoons we would go prayer walking or on house visits. One afternoon we were asked to go see a man named Tone. (Probably not how he spells it but that’s how it sounds) Tone was an old man who was dying. He didn’t have any strength to eat and couldn’t walk. All he could do is lay there and occasionally drink water. This same thing happened a few years ago and a group from the place we lived went and prayed over him and he was healed. Tone jumped up and threw his cane and gave his life to Jesus. With a story like that who wouldn’t believe in God? Though Tone gave his life to Christ, his family still wouldn’t follow Him. I don’t know the rest of the story from there, but I know that eventually Tone’s condition returned. And God wanted me to do something this time.
I don’t know what my purpose for being there was, but I felt that God wanted me to continue to go back and pray for Tone and his family every day. So I went, I prayed every day for healing for Tone but something was missing. I prayed knowing that God could heal that man, but not really thinking that He would. I couldn’t get over that doubt. I thought back to stories of Peter and Paul and how they would just walk up to someone who had never walked and say get up and they would rise. They could go up to a man who had never been able to see and touch them and they could see. They never doubted what God was going to do through them. So why do I? I think that I realized the root of the issue.
I have been reading Follow Me by David Platt, and he made me realize something that I have been thinking about for a while. First of all, I’ve always questioned why the apostles had so much faith. Was it because of the fact that they witnessed God’s power through Jesus and His miracles? If that was the case, then wouldn’t the Israelites have had the same faith after seeing all that God did to free them from Egypt? They saw all of the plagues, they saw the things that Moses did, and they walked across the red sea on dry ground. But the difference is they couldn’t keep the faith. They continued to fail God and doubt Him. So why were the apostles different? They made a decision every day to die to themselves and follow God. They chose to walk in an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. They accepted His invitation.
David talks about this invitation in his book. I agree that we have forgotten that Jesus gave us the invitation, He chose us we didn’t chose Him. I think that even from the start of our relationship with God we have it wrong. We think that we are inviting Him into our lives to help us out here and there instead of giving our lives to Him. He was the one who sent the invitation we just have to respond. But instead we see it as we are sending Him an invitation and waiting to see how He will respond. It’s hard to have faith if we have to invite Jesus every day to come work in us. That means we just have to ask and hope that He comes. Instead why don’t we surrender as the apostles did? Give our lives to God. He sent us the invitation all we have to do is respond with a yes. It is much easier knowing that He has a plan for us and there are no worries following that plan vs. doing our thing and inviting Him along hoping He helps us out along the way. I think that Salvation is much harder than we have made it out to be. Inviting God into our lives is easy. All it takes is a few words and you are done. No more worries! When in reality we already have the invitation, we just have to die to ourselves and our desires and follow Him who went before us.
“Christianity does not begin with our pursuit of Christ, but with Christ’s pursuit of us. Christianity does not start with an invitation we offer to Jesus, but with an invitation Jesus offers to us.” Quote from David Platt in Follow Me.
Tone was never healed while I prayed for him. In fact, he died not to long after we left. His family never came to Christ; they ridiculed me for speaking and sharing my testimony. But they didn’t reject me, they rejected God. If you look at the surface, all the time I spent at that house seems wasted. But I know I was there for a reason because God led me there. I know that I made a difference even though there was no evidence. I also know that God changed my faith even by giving me no signs and letting nothing happen. God is always working, accept his invitation and allow Him to use you.
“When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israelhave I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.” Mathew 8:5-13
Have faith in the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth, and in yourselves whom authority has been given through Jesus Christ.
