"Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for
their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him
after he had risen." (Mark 16:14 NIV)
So the disciples were "stubborn in believing!" Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
A few weeks ago, as the service was concluding at church, the pastor gave an
altar call. When no one but the expected usuals came forward, I was overcome
with a sudden urge to pray. To my shame, my reply was far from honorary: "Not
now. I don't feel like it."
"Pray!"
"But…I don't know what to pray about!"
"Pray!"
So I started to pray, and as I did, God's Spirit took over. I had the feeling
that there was someone in the audience who desperately needed to answer the
call, but was reluctant to come forward to stand in front of the audience. After
a few minutes of prayer, peace came over me. I continued to pray, however. After
all, God had told me to pray!
"Open your eyes!"
"Not now!" I insisted. "I'm praying like You told me to!"
"Open your eyes!"
I eventually obeyed, just in time to see a man walking down the isle to give his
heart to Jesus. Tears of joy rolled down my face at that sight of this soul who
had been saved for eternity.
Is it possible that our stubbornness often prevents us from experiencing God
like we should?
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Eph
6:18 NIV)
Will we let our stubbornness control our relationship with our Maker?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.