“Ask of me, and I will.” (Ps. 2:8)
MATTHEW HAD ACCEPTED a call to pastor a small church. After being there for a year, he came to talk to me. “Umfundisi, I had big dreams for this church. I thought that it would see immediate growth under my leadership because I felt I had so much going for me: a recent degree in Christian ministries showing I am trained to do the work of a pastor, a personality that is both caring and friendly, a preaching and teaching style that does not bore others, a sense of humor that can endear others to me, and a singing voice that many have complimented me on.
“I really thought that, with so much on my side, I would have been able to successfully attract large numbers to the church. After eight months, however, we had not seen any growth at all. While I was reading Psalm 2, I realized my mistake. I was focusing too much on what I could do and not on what God could do. The psalmist tells us to ‘Ask God.’ I began to do that and invited others in the church to join me. Our prayer was that God would bring the increase. Guess what! Last week a new family began to come to our church, and during the morning service the son became a Christian!”
Ask God to accomplish what only He can do in your life.
Jim “Umf” Lo is the coauthor of Unholiness: Overcoming the Forces That Attack Your Soul (WPH).
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