A picture is worth 1,000 words… and yet the story behind the picture often takes 10,000 to adequately explain. That’s life. We think we know what’s happening and then we find out , “The rest of the story”. I was reminded of this when I was listening to the Bible this a.m. Technology is frustrating to me, however, it does have it’s redeeming value when one knows how to figure it out! So, I did figure out that I could be read the Bible from Bible-Gateway App. Wonderful; with the exception that I would like to hear a cowboy reading it not a deep bass voice with a thick brogue. My second preference would be British Accent. My thought is that God has a British accent.. just saying. So I am listening this morning to Ecclesiastes and I hear, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one be warm along? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecc. 4:9-12.
In the picture above one had been trying to get the one on the ground to do something. Wasn’t working. Then along comes his friend…
There are many times in life when, along comes a friend. God meant for us to walk along side others life; those along come a friend moments. In Acts there were many “Along came a friend” moments but none so evident as the Ethiopian in Chapter 8. There have been times when I have been the Ethiopian and there have been times when I have been Philip (along came a friend). There were moments when I had no clue why I was where I was at the time I was, similar to Philip just being told to go along the road toward Jerusalem. We have to be willing to see God leading to be the willing Philip just aimlessly wandering along and then he saw the chariot and caught the words coming out of his mouth before he even had a clue what he was saying, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Of course we all know the rest of the story. What we don’t know are the fears, the “i have no clue what or where you want me to go Lord” thoughts from Philip. We don’t know the look on the Ethiopians face when he suddenly sees a God levitating along side his chariot. What we do know is that God used that “along came a friend” moment to bless someone.
We , or rather I, like to know more particulars that, “go find a road and start walking”. I like details. Walking into the unknown can be a bit scary. And yet, God is using us in his kingdom to simply fulfill “along came a friend” moments for others. We don’t get it, we don’t know where it will take us and sometimes as often as it starts it seems to end but to be where God wants us at the right time to meet a need, we need to be willing to walk, run, skip, hop and be ready when someone needs that moment when “along came a friend”.
It will always make me a bit nervous when I feel God leading me somewhere I don’t understand. It will always make my heart rate jump, my legs get a bit queasy and the white of my eyes bulge, but I know what it feels like when I am over the top and
“along came a friend”. I will swallow my fears, calm my heart rate and just step out in faith that God will never lead me where He is not ready to provide what I need. Where God guides- God provides.. So step out and be there for the moment when “along came a friend.”
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