Where's Your Back Door?

There is a story, (and it’s just that – A story) about a new young preacher touring the Bible-belt area of the southern states of America. He was invited to preach at a small country church and duly went along to the service. After delivering his sermon and singing some final hymns and songs, the deacons moved from the sides and filed into the aisle with some baskets. They lifted the covers off the baskets and the Minister of the little church went down, reached into one of the baskets and lifted out a poisonous snake. He then proceeded to walk up and down the aisle and hold the snake above his head.

Some of the deacons followed suit. The minister then passed the snake over to a member of the congregation and then went back to the stage and sat beside the young preacher. They watched as the congregation passed the snakes around and danced and swayed amongst each other while singing gospel choruses.

At this point the young preacher began to get very, very nervous. So he leaned over to the Minister and whispered, “Where is your back door?”

The Minister replied, “Son, we don’t have one”.

The Preacher then asked “Where do you want one?”

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you didn’t want to find yourself in?

Joseph, son of Jacob, repeatedly found himself in situations that were not of his own doing. His ten half-brothers became jealous of him and so beat him up and sold him off as a slave. He eventually ended up being sold to an Egyptian captain of Pharaoh’s guard called Potiphar. The sequence of events there saw him being thrown into prison through no fault of his own. The next sequence of events saw him being released from that prison, then eventually ending up as one of the highest officials in Egypt. Then his brothers came to Egypt. I’m sure he had very mixed emotions at that initial meeting.

Daniel also, born in Jerusalem, found himself taken captive prisoner and transported off to Babylon as a slave. He would have been singled out for harsher treatment as he was of noble birth. And it was in Babylon that he found himself thrown into a fiery furnace and then into a den occupied by lions simply because he continued to carry on worshipping his own God – Jehovah.

There are many times that we all find ourselves in difficult situations and circumstances that we never planned or intended ourselves to be in. But, for the Christian, we soon learn that all these things are just pathways which lead to better things. Joseph eventually ended up advising Pharaoh of a coming famine and helped him prepare for it. Not just for Egypt but for his family back at home too. Daniel died in Babylon. But not before recording for us prophetic visions that would help us understand things about the last days of Christ and The Church.

But what do we do when we find our own troubles too distressful. They are causing us to lose sleep at night. We lose our appetite. We easily become agitated and over-react to the simplest of dilemmas. I remember sitting pondering things which were causing me great concern and thinking “Lord, just what sort of a Christian do you want me to be?” I’m sure it’s a question that Joseph and Daniel asked many times through their ordeals.

Our Bible told me how to handle these things. And it’s not the answer that I was ever expecting. And the answer was simply this…. Stand still. Don’t do anything. Do not react. Just carry on praying and praising.

Our Bible tells us….

Exodus ch14 v13 - And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,

Psalm ch4 v4 - Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.

1 Corinthians ch2 v5 - That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

2 Thessalonians ch2 v15 - Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught.

Someone once shared an analogy with me that I was to be like a boxer in a boxing ring. And the bout would be won if only I stood still and took all the punches. That was hard to do. And many times I came close to losing. But I had good friends. Although there were many friends in my circle - Only God was in my corner.

2 Thessalonians ch2 v15 - Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

 The hymn writer Paul Ryder wrote…

Fear not, little flock.  From the cross to the throne,

From death into life He went for His own;

All power in earth, all power from above,

Is given to Him for the flock of His love.

Only believe, only believe.

All things are possible, only believe.

 

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