I happen to stumble on a story this past week that became an illustration for my sermon this morning. I thought in many ways, it is probably one of the best illustrations on faith I've ever seen. I thought I'd share it with you today.
An old pump offered the only hope of drinking water for a very long and seldom-used path across the Amargosa Desert. Attached to this old pump was a little baking soda can wired to the handle with a note in the can that read this: "This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not enough if you drink some first. Pour about one-fourth of the bottle and let her soak to we the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. when you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller. (signed) Desert Pete. P.S. Don't go drinking the water first. Prime the pump with t and you'll git all you can hold.
Source: Internet - Edge of Adventure, by Keith Miller and Bruce Larson, www. sermonillustrations.com
How many of us would be tempted to drink the water instead.
But, what a powerful illustration this is of what faith is all about. God has promised us Living water, all the living water we'd ever want to drink, but it's a matter of having the faith to draw upon the source, Jesus Christ. Too many of us are too interested in drinking the piddly offerings of this world and not trusting in the one who created it all. Perhaps this little story can help us get a better handle on what God is offering to us all, if we but only have the faith to trust him.
Good night and may God bless you,
J. Mark Hurst
No comments:
Post a Comment