One day a local evangelist bragged during a crusade that his God was more able than all the other gods and the powers that the villagers worshiped put together. Just then, rainstorm sounds started sounding overhead, threatening the progress of the crusade. The evangelist lifted up his voice and declared with confidence that if the rains fell, then he wasn’t a man of God; he would stop preaching!

Before he could finish his bluff, the rains began to hit the crusade grounds so vehemently, as if in disregard of his declarations. The whole town left the crusade grounds to their houses, shaking their heads in disappointment and dismay.

The evangelist, so distraught and angry, packed his belongings and left the town the next day. On his way through the next town, he checked into a local drinking pub and drank himself to stupor. As he laid on the ground cursing God, an old seedy looking man tapped him gently on the shoulder.

“Man of God”, the old man greeted. But the evangelist quickly cut in, “Don’t mention the name of God to me. He is fake. He is unreliable. I am no longer a believer in this God. A God who chooses to disgrace his servants. Leave me alone!”

But the old man would not let him be. He continued, “I am the fetish priest in the village you just preached at. During your one week stay in that village, you destroyed all the charms I had used to bind the people for 45 years. Your prayers and your words always came with some fearful fire. I tried so many times to eliminate you but I couldn’t. My last chance came yesterday. I had loaded my gun with gunpowder lying wait on the mountaintop where I had a very clear view of you.

“My plan was to shoot you from a distance since I couldn’t get close enough to you due to the fire around you. But just when I lifted the gun, the rains came from nowhere, wetting my gunpowder and covering you in a cloud such that I couldn’t even see you. All I saw was a bright man holding a sword in front of you.

“I was so terrified. I concluded that your God was indeed all-powerful and Almighty. That is why I’ve been looking for you since then. I want to follow this your God!”

The ex-evangelist bowed his head in shame.

Dear friends, sometimes, it is just wise for us to believe that our Father knows the way He is taking us. We should just trust His leading. Let our boast be in the Lord, not in ourselves. If we decree a thing and it doesn’t happen, let us not see it as disappointment or dishonour from the Father. Let us just believe that the Father wants his perfect will to be done in all things.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Answered Prayer
Reasons Prayers are Not Answered (1)
Reasons Prayers are Not Answered (Final)