A New Day

By: Pastor Johnie Akers     

Psalm 78:41, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the holy One of Israel.” Pastor and theologian, Dr. Donald Barnhouse, once related a story about Robert Dick Wilson, who was his Hebrew professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. Barnhouse tells of his going back to the seminary to preach after having graduated from there twelve years earlier. Dr. Wilson came into Miller Chapel and sat down near the front. There is something rather intimidating, Barnhouse recalled, about going back to school where you were trained and you teach the Scriptures to those who taught you. At the close of the meeting Dr. Wilson approached Barnhouse and said, “If you come back again, I will not come to hear you preach. I only come once. I am glad that you are a big-godder. When my boys come back, I come to see if they are big-godders or little-godders, and then I know what their ministry will be.” Barnhouse asked him to explain. “Well, some men have a little God and they are always in trouble with Him. He can’t do miracles. He can’t take care of the inspiration and transmission of the Scripture to us. He doesn’t intervene on behalf of His people. They have a little God and I call them little-godders. Then there are those who have a great God. He speaks and it is done. He commands and it stands fast. He knows how to show Himself strong on behalf of them that fear Him. You, Donald, have a great God; and He will bless your ministry.” He paused a moment, smiled, said “God bless you,” and walked out. In our Scripture lesson today, the Psalmist recounts the fateful decision that the children of Israel made when they initially were brought to the Promised Land immediately after the Exodus. By not believing they could conquer Canaan’s giants and fortified cities they limited God’s power to work on their behalf. They were, as Dr. Wilson would say, “little-godders.” The truth is, God will be as big and powerful to us as we will allow Him to be. Today, decide to be a “big-godder.” Believe in a God who is worthy of all devotion and adoration; One who has all power to fill you, enable you, and deliver you in spite of the circumstances that you encounter with this and each new day.