Has God ever asked you to do something which seemed ridiculous or at least odd? It has certainly been our experience. The one that comes rushing to my mind was in 2001 and we were renovating the space we now rent as a church. That renovation was packed with remarkable and unforgettable moments.
One story stands out in my mind. Our church is on a second level. It was first a pornographic theatre and then a tattoo bar. When we first came in, we were struck by how dark it felt and how heavy the air seemed. We gathered as a congregation and prayed through that place. After that season of prayer, the presence of God came and the darkness vacated.
When we began the renovation, we were informed that the store below must have fireproof tiles on their ceiling in order to bring an adequate fire separation between them and us. So, a few of the men went down and carefully checked the ceiling out. As it turned out, only a few of the tiles in that 4000 square foot ceiling were up to the fire safety standard. We felt overwhelmed. It was going to cost the church a ton of money that we did not possess. We would never pass the needed inspection without these new and expensive tiles.
We prayed together. After a few days one of the men said, “I know it is crazy but let’s go check again.” When they went down to examine the ceiling, every tile was up to code.
To this day, we have no idea what happened. We didn’t install those tiles and neither did the store below us. God was doing His remarkable work, reminding us that He is alive and well.
In 1 Kings 18 we read the amazing story of Elijah and Obadiah. I love the exchange between these two men. It would have been amusing to listen to them, especially after everything Obadiah did to save all those prophets, hiding them in caves, feeding and caring for them so Ahab would not kill them. Obadiah was breathing a sigh of relief over this until he met Elijah. Elijah confirmed his identity and said, “Now, go tell your master, I am here”. Obadiah was almost speechless. Elijah’s request seems incredulous. In today’s English it would have gone something like this, “You are kidding me here, right? You can’t be serious!” But Elijah was.
Obadiah yielded and went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come. So, Ahab went out to meet Elijah. This then leads to the contest on Mount Carmel where God shows that He is indeed God and there is no other.
It is wise to keep this story in mind. Perhaps there was a time the Lord asked you to do to something that seems a bit odd or maybe ridiculous and it led to God showing that He is indeed God and there is no other. If He hasn’t yet, perhaps he will!
Dear Father,
Thank You for this remarkable story that reminds us that You are God and there is no other. I praise You today because You alone are worthy. Lead me Father, if there is a strange request You want to bring my way, I would ask for the courage and faith to obey.
In Jesus Name,
Amen