I shared with my wife, Barbara, one morning before I went to work, that I had a project ahead of me of white-washing some interior wooden walls. I have done lots of painting in my days, but I have never white-washed anything. Outside of reading how Tom Sawyer whitewashed the fence, I have never paid any attention to the technique. I decided to run by the Sherwin Williams Paint store and see if they had any special product for such a project. I walked in the store and told the manager what my project was and asked him if he had any special product for it. As I talked with the manager at one counter, I was aware of a man doing something with paint over at the other counter. The manager replied to my inquiry by referring me to the man at the other counter who was creating some samples of white-washing for a customer of his. I just stepped into a white-washing tutorial, learned exactly what I needed to know, made acquaintance with the man and thanked him, and went on to the job. I mentioned to them that it worked out real good that I could step in the store and learn all I needed to know. I further stated that we believe in applying the Word of God to our lives in specific ways, and that the Word says in Psalms that the Lord surrounds us with his favor (5:12). I went on to the job, created a couple of samples for the owner to see, and went on with some other painting. When I got home from work that afternoon, Barb asked how my day went. I told her about the white-wash tutorial incident. She said that as I drove out of the driveway this morning she was prompted to pray for me that I have wisdom, and have it easily and quickly for the whitewashing job. Wisdom doesn’t come any easier or quicker that what I experienced that day!
The Word says the Holy Spirit is given as a helper, and, that a wife is given as a helper. If you get them both working together, now that’s some help! Bottom line is this: Jesus said of believers, “ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). Since the Spirit of God is given as the helper to believers, it would behoove us to listen to his promptings and do what he directs us to do. Only good things can come from it. We can actually live a lifestyle of hearing and responding to him if we will. All it takes is that we lay our lives at his feet for him to do with us whatever he so desires. It is sort of like the monkey trap. We can hold on to our life like the monkey holds to the banana with his hand in the snare, or, we can “let our life go” by giving it to the Lord, like if the monkey turns the banana loose, his hand is free to be removed from the trap. Such commitment to the Lord to abide in him will bring multiplied rewards both now and for all eternity.
