The Wesleyan Bridge
As a young man I enjoyed the new scenic vistas discovered hiking in the mountains of South Carolina. I would pause on mountain ridges standing in awe of God’s creation. I believe our spiritual journey is very similar in that we come to places on the faith trail when scripture opens a new understanding, vistas of faith, that cause us to recognize, understand, and reflect on the truth and wisdom of a loving God. I suggest that there are two important milestones in a faith journey. The first is understanding the importance of denying ourselves and seeking the Lord. The second is the realization that God is always with us and has gone before us. Our Lord paves the passage for His children. Moses explained to Joshua that God goes before us preparing the way.
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:7-8.
This may seem a little radical that God actually goes before us. I had the misaligned belief that through prayer, I made God aware of my challenge or crisis. I have come to understand that He calls us, sets the table anticipating our arrival, and then enjoys our presence. Often, we rush through our days driving our schedules and objectives while God quietly watches. If we seek the Lord, listen for His call, and follow then the doors will open. His grace, His presence, doesn’t suggest that the journey will always be easy or without conflict but our Father goes before us…
I will go before you
and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron. Isaiah 45:2.
Isaiah was calling the people of Judah to a return to God while the kingdom was under threat from the Egyptians and the Assyrians. The words of Isaiah proclaim that our God goes before us and accompanies us in times of crisis. The Jewish nation, the chosen children, had fallen away and Isaiah is teaching them that the righteous and the unrighteous are in His care. He goes before them and secures their future so “people may know there is none besides me”.[1]
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me. Isaiah 45:4-6.
When I first met Reverend John Rutland in 1992, he was in his early seventies supporting the senior members at Vestavia Hills Methodist Church (small suburban town located just outside of Birmingham, Alabama). Reverend Rutland taught us many things but one most important was that real faith is based on a total trust of the Lord regardless of the challenges. He goes before us.
In 1937 Reverend Rutland was moved to serve four Methodist churches located in the coal villages 70 miles north of Birmingham. After several weeks in town, he started a practice of visiting the Oakman local poolhall developing a relationship with the regulars. This was in addition to “street preaching” where he converted a town shed building into an open air rough wood chapel with crossties and crates as seats. The people that attended the poolhall and his weekly impromptu shed services would not venture into a church. They didn’t feel if they would be accepted, good enough, or deserved to attend a downtown Methodist Church. A prominent local businessmen challenged his practice suggesting that street preaching was beyond the dignity of a Methodist minister. One other member suggested that his poolhall buddies were nothing more than local riff-raff measuring to a lot of nothing. In fact, he wagered, “I’ll contribute $100 for each of the poolhall assembly that join the church.” In the Depression years this was a small fortune. The following Sunday six of the poolhall regulars joined the Oakman Methodist Church![1] God went before Reverend Rutland.
I enjoy the quote, “God has already worked this out. Stop worrying!”[2]. Now, I challenge you to consider the events of each day and ask, “Has God been before me today shaping the outcome of my life and my mission”?
Prayer: Jesus, we pray for the strength to set aside our fears and stand outside of our comfort zone advancing the message of the Gospel. Grant us the willingness to seek the Lord, a receptive ear to listen, and the disposition to act. Instill in our hearts a bedrock trust in You that guides us each day. We make this prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
[1] Isaiah 45:6.
[1] Mary and Me: Telling the Story of Prevenient Grace by John Rutland, Ardara House of Publishers, 1996. Pages 48-56.
[2] Unknown author.
The Wesleyan Bridge is written by K.B. Kelly with the Reverend Valerie Mireb and Pastor Hank Brooks as Theological Editors and Debbie Kelly as Text and Content Editor.