Cheryl Meerwald – Maroota – 2012 (Visiting Worker)

Hymn 221, “Unerring One”

My thoughts have been on human reasoning that can come between God and ourselves and hinder what God wants to do in us. Luke 1, the angel came to Mary and told her that she would have a child and that child would be the Son of God. It was hard for human reasoning to comprehend, but Mary knew it was possible with God. Her cousin Elisabeth was also to have a child in her old age, and that also would have been hard to grasp. But the angel said to Mary, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Mary didn’t think how great she was that God had chosen her to be the mother of the Son of God, but she was humble. Luke 1:46, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

When people are told about the New Testament ministry, they often find it hard to grasp how a homeless ministry can be possible. It goes by faith with no collection, no tithing, and the human mind finds it hard to understand it can be possible. A miracle is something that is not naturally possible. Someone said that God specializes in miracles. When we cannot understand, have faith. Faith has always been important to Jesus; to have the faith to know that God knows. Mark 6:2, “And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, ‘From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto Him?’” They couldn’t understand with human reasoning. God’s servants don’t go to a theological college to learn how to speak of God’s word, and that is another thing people ask us. The disciples didn’t go to a theological college, but people saw that they had been with Jesus.

I have been in the north of Sri Lanka and the work has not been able to go on there for nearly 30 years. One of our brothers was trying to count the various religions that took the name of Jesus, and he counted 58 just in that part alone. There are many organizations taking the name of Christ, all with their own different names, and some of them ask us questions but cannot understand the way God’s servants go in this ministry. When Peter had toiled all night and caught nothing, Jesus asked him to launch out into the deep. He could have used his human reasoning and thought, “What’s the use?” But he just said, “Nevertheless, at Thy word I will let down the net.” The sisters on the east coast of Sri Lanka told us that a man had started his own religion and asked them if they wanted to buy his religion, and told them it would come with the congregation, too. It was just like a business to him. So, it is wonderful that God’s servants can take this Gospel in faith.

I was thinking of the time Jesus fed 5,000. Multitudes were there and the disciples asked Him to send them away so they could go and buy food. Five loaves and two fishes to feed the multitude would have seemed impossible to human reasoning. They could have thought, “What’s the use?” Mark 6:41, “And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves and gave them to His disciples to set before them.” It was like Peter saying, “Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.”

In the north of Sri Lanka, we have been having meetings in a home where there are children. Those children don’t have Mums and Dads, so they are in this home. One little girl lost her father and brothers in the war and she was injured too, and walks with crutches. So we have been telling these children stories from the Bible, and this little girl loves to hear them. It is wonderful when we can trust God and not just depend on our own human intellect. “The brightest intellect of men is dark and fails to see the precious truth, to those so clear, who through the Son are free.” Trust in the guidance of His Spirit, even at times when we cannot understand.