And the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke with me again: "Take the opened scroll which is in the hand of the angel standing upon the sea and upon the land." And I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the scroll." He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." And I took the scroll out of the angel's hand and eat it. And it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it made my stomach sour. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again to many peoples, nations, languages, and kings." Rev. 10: 8-11.
John is not the last person for whom everything turned sour. God's strategy with him seems to be a way that the Lord often uses to prepare people for a different kind of ministry.
When Gavin was a teenager he attended a prestigious private school. His classmates were the children of diplomats and the wealthiest people in the country. As a student he won scholarships, was captain of several sports teams, and received awards for many things. He never failed at anything he wanted to do.
When he became a pastor, however, everything seemed to turn upside down. Medical problems hospitalized him, and then he lost his job. He was continually tired. Gossip destroyed his reputation. His girlfriend of several years broke up with him. It was as if God were systematically taking away everything that he had learned to depend on.
When everything seemed darkest, God completely restored his health and his energy. But sometime later he found himself complaining about his situation. From the moment that he began complaining about his situation, his renewed energy began to seep away. For two months he was angry with God. "Father, this is not fair" he protested. "You have taken everything away from me. I have nothing left!" The voice of the Holy Spirt was unmistakable: ""Yes, that is the point."
The thought stunned Gavin. God wanted him to have nothing? Then he came to realize that he had been trying to do ministry in his own strength. He was "soured" because God removed his "strengths" so he could realize how much he needed to depend on the Lord. As with John in Revelation 10, God intended his disappointments to serve as stepping-stones to a different kind of ministry.
Gavin is back in ministry today. But the core of his service is not in his talent or strength--it is in intimacy with God. Just as the book of Revelation has had far more influence through the centuries than John could have imagined, so our work for God can exceed our expectations when we do it as the result of an intimate relationship with Him.
Lord, keep me open to new directions by whatever means You choose. Help me to recognize Your hand in the "sour" expressions of life.
John is not the last person for whom everything turned sour. God's strategy with him seems to be a way that the Lord often uses to prepare people for a different kind of ministry.
When Gavin was a teenager he attended a prestigious private school. His classmates were the children of diplomats and the wealthiest people in the country. As a student he won scholarships, was captain of several sports teams, and received awards for many things. He never failed at anything he wanted to do.
When he became a pastor, however, everything seemed to turn upside down. Medical problems hospitalized him, and then he lost his job. He was continually tired. Gossip destroyed his reputation. His girlfriend of several years broke up with him. It was as if God were systematically taking away everything that he had learned to depend on.
When everything seemed darkest, God completely restored his health and his energy. But sometime later he found himself complaining about his situation. From the moment that he began complaining about his situation, his renewed energy began to seep away. For two months he was angry with God. "Father, this is not fair" he protested. "You have taken everything away from me. I have nothing left!" The voice of the Holy Spirt was unmistakable: ""Yes, that is the point."
The thought stunned Gavin. God wanted him to have nothing? Then he came to realize that he had been trying to do ministry in his own strength. He was "soured" because God removed his "strengths" so he could realize how much he needed to depend on the Lord. As with John in Revelation 10, God intended his disappointments to serve as stepping-stones to a different kind of ministry.
Gavin is back in ministry today. But the core of his service is not in his talent or strength--it is in intimacy with God. Just as the book of Revelation has had far more influence through the centuries than John could have imagined, so our work for God can exceed our expectations when we do it as the result of an intimate relationship with Him.
Lord, keep me open to new directions by whatever means You choose. Help me to recognize Your hand in the "sour" expressions of life.
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