I Am His

"Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38 NIV; italics mine).

Sometimes our plans don't work out as hoped because God detours us, leading us elsewhere in his overruling providence.  Thomas Coke, a sophisticated Oxford-educated Welshman, left his ministry in the Anglican Church in 1777 to become John Wesley's chief assistant in the new and quickly growing Methodist movement.  On September 24, 1785 he packed his books and bags and sailed out of England, down the channel, and into the Atlantic, leaving for Nova Scotia where he wanted to establish the missionaries who accompanied him.  But the voyage was ill-fated and grew more perilous by the day, the ship being caught in mountainous waves and mast-splitting winds.  The ship's captain, determining that Coke and his missionaries were bringing misfortune on his ship like Jonah, considered throwing them overboard.  He actually gathered some of Coke's papers and tossed them into the ocean.  The voyage took three months rather than the expected one, and instead of landing in Nova Scotia, the damaged ship ended up in the Caribbean, limping into St. John's harbor on the island of Antigua on Christmas Day.

Coke knew that at least one Methodist lived somewhere on Antigua, a missionary named John Baxter.  Hoping to find him, Coke and his three missionaries asked to be rowed ashore from their shattered ship in the predawn morning.  they started down the street in St. John's and stopped the first person they found, a fellow swinging a lantern in his hand, to inquire of Baxter.

It was John Baxter himself.  He was on his way to special Christmas morning services he had planned for the island, and the sudden appearance of Coke and his missionaries out of the darkness--out of nowhere seemed too good to be true.  It took three services that day to accommodate the crowds.  After it was over, Coke and his associates abandoned any idea of going to Nova Scotia.  Instead, they planted the missionary team on Antigua and on neighboring islands; and by the time of Coke's death in 1814 there were over 17,000 believers in the Methodist churches there.

Have your dreams?  Have you plans that you would like this or that to do for God?  It is true that we are to be witnesses for Christ but not all are, as was Thomas Coke, to go off to a mission field from home.  We are not our won, there must be a deliberate giving up of oneself to the sovereign will of God.  The secret of the missionary is--I am His, and He is carrying out His plan through me.  the first work of the Holy Spirit is to explain so that we understand the nature of Jesus that we might become one with  Him, not to enable us to go off and showcase for Him.  the question to ask, am I doing all I can in the here and now, and if not, why not?  Your missionary field may be right where you are, witnessing to family and friends.  We are responsible for other souls spiritually before God.  If your witness is deflected from tht responsibility, everyone about you suffers.  God has not left us here on earth to be save and sanctified.  No!  We are to be about His business.  You might ask, "How can I keep such a standard?"  The answer is through the sufficiency of God.  It is His work, we are His workers, and we are His.  He is directing and He furnishes the strength.  Start where you are now, witnes for your saviour, the power of the Holy Spirit will enable you.  then if He has other plans for you, He will make a way.  Thomas Coke thought he was going to Nova Acotia; God had other plans.  God has plans for you too, wait on Him to guide the way, be at the His in the present.

Daily Prayer:

Today Lord I commit to you my all.  I have foolishly made plans without consulting you and waiting for your direction.  I give you my life, use it as you will.  Help me to share the good news of salvation starting with _______________.  May me life be a witness for you.  Thank you for saving me.         Amen