Interactions with God #83
Sometime in the year 2000, not too long after Brian said to put a team together, we started another home group. This group was much closer to our target area of Cave Creek, AZ. The names of the couple that hosted the group were John and Jessica. We had a worship leader and a good 5 couples to start with.
We did have a really good bunch of people. On one of the nights that we met, a young man named Mason was there. Just after our worship time, God put something odd on my heart. I knew that He wanted to do something with Mason. So, I said to Mason, “God has a message for you. He said that He told you already, what is it?”
Mason replied, “Uh, He wants me to study more”. I replied, “No, that isn’t what He said.” A wee bit less sure, he said, “He wants me to pray more?” “No, not it. Listen for Him.” Mason took a minute, and then said something else that he thought God wanted him to improve upon. I sat for a minute, then out of the blue I said “John, God has given the message to you in order to tell Mason. Go ahead and tell him.”
Yea, this was a bit crazy. But as I have seen a few times before, when that “convinced” feeling comes on you, it is generally a very real faith coming from the Spirit of God. I had no outward reason to do this thing. I was taking a big risk. Especially after John looked at me like I was crazy. “What!? I got nothing!” “John, you do! Pray for Mason and wait on God.” John prayed for a second or two. “I got nothing.”
I started to grow a little concerned that I might have gotten this thing wrong. But, as soon as those thoughts and feelings came, even more quickly rose that faith which stifled the fear. “John, God has given you what to say, you just need to trust Him and say it.”
I knew what God wanted to say. I really did. God just wanted to tell Mason that He loved him. Regardless of how imperfect he saw himself. But, I was not to tell him. There was something more going on here and I just knew it. So, I pressed them further.
John prayed again. “I can’t hear anything! The noise from the kids in the back is distracting!” I replied, “John, God can speak louder than the kids. Try again.” Clearly getting frustrated, John prayed again. Then it happened, even in John’s growing irritation, he spoke, “Mason, God just wants you to know that He loves you, stop fussing about the stuff that you need to change. Just accept that He loves you!” He said it with the added emotion of his irritation. That emotion seemed to come straight from God’s heart. It added a great deal to the message.
Mason’s eyes widened considerably. Then he replied, “Oh my gosh! I did hear that!! I just didn’t believe it was His voice!” John, then said pretty much the same thing. He too had heard it, but didn’t believe it was God. Both of them had a view of themselves that many of us have…”Why would God want to talk to me?” The answer is simple. Because He loves you.
We all watched as God, not only dealt with a deep doubt within Mason, but also within John. Two birds with one stone. Prayer time was really cool that night.