Emblazoned on a plaque that hangs on a wall in my house are the words that were handwritten in the front of a bible given to my parents on their wedding day. It is the same words I used to quote as I closed a daily radio broadcast. I have repeated them so often that they have become almost like a mantra to me. The words are recorded in Pro. 3:5,6. Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. More than a recitation I memorized many years ago I actually believe The Lord wants to lead us in a way that is pleasing to Him. Because His ways are higher than our ways the direction He wants us to go is sometimes beyond our understanding. This seems like the week when I am sharing personal testimonies and so here is one more. I accepted an invitation to become senior pastor of a church in Mobile in 1976. Once again God placed me in a position for which I was not qualified to serve. The church had a large private school and as pastor I was given a lot of responsibility in overseeing that ministry. After being there for a few years I performed the wedding for one our teachers who married a youth pastor from a nearby city. About a year after they were married I asked the young man to join our ministry team by working with the youth. Im guessing the time period but it was probably two or three years later when I felt it was time to resign my position as the senior pastor of the church. I understand that we live by faith but faith is not a blind leap in the dark. Many times in the name of faith have done foolish things. Most reasonable people do not quit a job unless they are assured of another job. When I submitted my resignation I did not have another position waiting for me and like most of you I had a family to support. What I did not realize at that point in time is that a church in Florida had expressed an interest in talking with me about becoming their pastor. At their invitation we met and discussed the kind of pastor they were hoping to find but in spite of the beautiful beaches and wonderful seafood restaurants I was not interested in moving to Panama City. After they continued to call me I finally talked with my youth pastor and told him I was willing to accept the invitation if he would go with me. Why The Lord seemed to always put me in difficult situations I will never be able to explain. The church had split three different times resulting in a loss of more than 400 people. The beautiful facilities had been built a few years earlier but they were in danger of losing their investment because of their inability to stay current with their payments. A church is much like a family. Financial pressure can put a strain on relationships. After repeated meetings with loan officers and the church board I finally understood why God directed me move to a place where I did not want to go. After being there for three months I met with the board and offered my resignation explaining that they could not afford to pay my salary as well as the salary of the youth pastor. I suggested that they give the youth pastor the opportunity to become their senior pastor while I try to decide what should be my next move. Fortunately, the board took my advice and Phil Edwards has now been their pastor for about thirty years and the church is a very strong influence in that city. By the way the next day after I resigned another church called inviting me to be their pastor. I testify to the faithfulness of God in directing His children in the way He wants them to go.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 04:01:20 +0000
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