Nine-year-old Gary, along with the other boys in his Sunday school class, each bought a “pine-wood derby” race-car kit, intending to build and race them.
He worked diligently on the model. When he finished, he was quite proud of the little wooden car which he had painted blue proud until “race day.” Then reality hit. Gary looked at the other sleek, highly polished cars, carved from the blocks of pine wood, and his car seemed out of place. It didn’t have a “sleek” race-car look, and its paintbrush finish was rough compared to all the spray-painted finishes.
The race would be an “elimination” each boy racing his car down the long, slick, wooden ramp, until it was eliminated by a faster car. Strangely enough, Gary’s roughly finished and blocky-looking car did quite well. One after another of the cars were eliminated-but Gary’s kept right on winning.
Finally the last race was about to begin the championship between Gary’s car and what was clearly the most beautiful, sleek-looking derby car of all a low-slung, glossy-yellow speedster.
Just as the two cars were being lined up, Gary asked if they would wait for a minute he wanted to pray. The room grew silent as little Gary, holding his funny looking blue car, bowed his head and, with a brow wrinkled in deep concentration, spent almost two minutes silently praying. Then, opening his eyes, he announced, “Okay, I’m ready.”
The two cars started, picking up speed as they sped down the ramp. Amazingly, Gary’s car crossed the finish line just barely in front of its rival.
Prizes were handed out to all who took part, and when Gary’s turn came to receive his championship prize, the man who was giving them out said to him, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gary?”
The little boy looked up at his questioner in surprise. “Oh, no, I didn’t ask God to help me beat the other car. I just asked Him to make it so I wouldn’t cry when I lost.”
Do we honor our loving and giving God by asking largely of Him, or do we assume, through lack of faith, that we dare not expect much, though we know He owns the cattle on a thousand hills?
Joash, king of Israel (2 Kings 13:13-2013And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. 14Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. 15And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. 16And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. 17And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. 18And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 19And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. 20And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. (2 Kings 13:13‑20)), was given an opportunity to accept largely from Jehovah, through God’s prophet Elisha. But the king, evidently not acting in faith, struck the ground with his arrows only three times. The sick and dying prophet became angry at this lack of faith “thou shouldest have smitten five or six times.” Such spiritual energy would have brought full victory over the enemy.
Is the One who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” worthy to be trusted at every moment of our lives to give the best? For what, then, are you willing to ask Him?
Ed.