"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26 NIV
In church on Sunday we were reminded of the above truth. If you had the cure to the Swine Flu, would you keep it to yourself? If you are a Christian, you have the key to eternal life. Are you ashamed to share it?
I Blush to Tell You This
Early each morning of our camping holiday, as the sun was just pulling itself over the horizon, I would slip out of our tent, grab the Bible and head over to the rocks for my hour of morning devotions.
Up on the rocks among the trees in Muskoka at 6 a.m. is the perfect place and time to commune with the Lord; that is, unless a night rain drenches the rocks.
Thus, on one rather wet morning instead of sitting on wet rocks (slapping mosquitoes), I strolled along the road praying. I carried my Bible with me. The cool morning air made me grateful for the bulky green sweatshirt I had pulled on over my other clothes. As I wandered, the quiet country road led me past “Group of Seven” scenes: rocks, trees, bushes, water and muskeg. I thanked the Lord for the beautiful wild country.
My prayer changed abruptly where the road dipped through a patch of muskeg. That was where the flies attacked. First one, then two and then a whole swarm of them, circled my head, dive-bombing my face and hair. These were relentless little invaders with broad triangular wings and striped bodies—bigger than houseflies, smaller than horseflies, and peskier than both.
The flies had me swinging my arms, swatting wildly at the air and running. You might call it fly-induced aerobics. My prayer was reduced to a single plea: “Lord, get these flies out of my life.”
Because they seemed only interested in my head, it occurred to me to take off my sweatshirt and tie it up around my head into a turban. Now the flies could buzz and dive-bomb as much as they pleased; I couldn’t hear them as my ears were covered, I couldn’t even see them because they didn’t bother coming down past my strange lopsided turban.
Finally, back at my devotions, I thought I would read a Psalm, a praising one. As I opened my Bible, I noticed a pick-up truck driving up behind me. Immediately I felt embarrassed—but not because I was wearing a large green bundled-up shirt on my head with a swarm of flies buzzing around it. I had actually forgotten that for the moment. I was embarrassed because I was walking along the road reading the Bible—God’s Word.
So I discreetly closed the book and continued walking nonchalantly along. Three vehicles: two trucks and a car whizzed by, one after the other on that otherwise lonely quiet road. A rooster couldn’t have crowed louder.
I instantly realized what a fool I was. I felt totally stupid and ashamed of myself.
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory...” Luke 9:26a.
If you are a Christian, you have the answer to eternal life. Are you keeping it to yourself?
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