You cannot teach experience, and one lesson experience teaches is you
cannot always make decisions based on it. For instance last week our F150
wouldn’t start. After checking the obvious, it had gas, it sounded like a fuel
pump. Recent memory has had me replace two in our other cars last year. I
guess it happens to older cars, my newest is a 2003. But after surfing for the
best deal, and waiting until a Saturday night to install it, still a crank, no
start situation. So we checked all the fuses and relays-good. A phone call
turned us onto trying starting fluid, our next to last resort. Finally checking
the inertia switch ruled out all fuel related possibilities. $200 dollars later
we had experience, and a truck that wouldn’t start. But one possibility
remained, not fuel related, the key. Newer keys have transponders in them, so
the key talks to the truck allowing it to start and run. So off to the local
key shop....on two wheels. Monday morning.
Where immediately he noticed the microchip was missing, somehow it had
fallen out. Good news, and bad. Good, key was only $20 rather than the $80 he
had quoted me, but he suggested I go back and look for missing price, it had to
fallout in truck. Which it hadn’t, so back to key store, after calling Ford to
have key programmed. a dealer only can do this, the machine is way expensive.
But after purchasing the key, I was about to call Ford and have the truck towed,
when another man mentioned he had a friend who did mobile programming, so I
called him. For $75 rather than the $120 Ford quoted, he would come by the
house, no towing involved. And when he showed up as arranged, it took him a few
minutes and the truck started. But the deal wasn’t over, he gave me another key
for free, and only charged me $65! And we talked of people we knew in the auto
community, we had many of the same friends. But in talking, he mentioned his 9
year old son, born without part of his heart, and who has had three open hearts
surgeries. Which I can associate with, for we are both miracles to be alive,
only God could bring two men together from a missing microchip in a key. All
the “no’s” that diagnostics and experience had taught us were useless, God had a
planned meeting for us that day. And saved us money...and the truck was fixed.
But I go back to the first morning it wouldn’t start and where I sat in it and
prayed. God assured me it would be OK, his OK is always better than mine. But
it was in the no answers he provided, that led me to Bill and the story of his
son. All because my truck didn’t start....
So many ask where is God when I need him?” and when they don’t get an
answer, immediately blame God. But I have learned over the years when God says
no, it is because a better yes is coming. He knows what lies around the next
curve, we don’t. But if we listen to him, really ask “thy will be done,” and
then follow it, we are blessed, and we have another testimony to share to
encourage other, and give him the glory. Jesus is referred to as the great
physician, not the great doctor. Doctors practice medicine, Jesus heals.
Doctors diagnose, Jesus not only knows the problem, but has cure and can cure.
All in one convenient prayer, although his timing may have you meet up with
others in his plan. He never hurries, never was late, it is us who are
impatient. And since he never leaves us, or forgets us, he is on call 24/7.
Better and quicker than a 911 call. From Abraham trusting God who swore by
himself, to act because he knew God’s character, he had trouble with his wife’s
faith, and today we have the endless battle between Jews and Arabs. The Jewish
race through Isaac who was promised, and was born some 25 years after the
promise, and Ishmael, born of his concubine when influenced by Sarah not to
wait. After all they were old, and she was barren. I wonder if they had waited
what the world would belike today? And I look back to many things I have tried
to fix, coming up short. I think of the doctor telling me I had a pinched nerve
in my neck, when really my aorta was about to explode. The pain was in the same
area....but it was a heart problem, one only a miracle of God could cure. But
somehow it always comes back to the heart, from my aorta to the heart of man,
the soul. For hardened hearts towards God will finally end in death as my
hardened aorta almost did. But God knows, in Isaiah 65 he tells us he has the
answer in the works before we even pray. But we still need to follow his lead,
even if it takes a life flight on a helicopter, or a ride down to the key
store. If I hadn’t gone back to check for the missing key part, I would have
ended up with the truck towed to Ford, as it was it cost less, I got another
free key in the deal, and heard of this man’s son. And was reminded by God how
all things work out for good, when we follow his lead, and he wants to bless
us. He had the man in the mobile unit ready just like he had the helicopter
ready in Durango, like he had Isaac ready for Abraham and Sarah. Just like he
has Jesus ready for you. Today may be your day of salvation, or of a miracle,
are you listening? Or still trying to figure it out yourself?
God is God no matter what you believe, which is a good thing. He doesn’t
change to be like us, but we change to be like him. I cannot imagine the
consequences if it were the other way around. Just one impatient act by a
couple thousands of years ago still is reaping horrible results, and God called
Abraham a man of faith. Imagine what miracles he can do with your little faith,
and history of sin. But you must turn to him, listen, trust and obey. Get to
know God and “no” God. and learn that no is a wonderful answer when it comes
from a loving father. Paul once said we look through a glass darkly, and what
do we see? Interesting as mirrors were not invented yet, it took faith to look
and then obey. If your mirror of faith is dark, try Jesus. Open your heart,
he’ll open your eyes, for things are not always what we think. We only seek the
symptoms, and a diagnosis. Jesus is the answer. And turned out to be the
answer to the key for our truck. He cares about all aspects of your life, from
salvation to trucks to motorcycles. Find out today, you could be riding
instead of still waiting for a tow. You could be a miracle instead of another
statistic. Just say no, God often does, and rejoice in that better yes. It’s
who you know, and who you “no” that makes all the difference. If God can heal a
Ford, imagine what he can do for you?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com