SOAK Galatians 5:22-26

Verse 25 of this passage, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" is a verse that had a profound impact in my life.

Many years ago I was pastoring in the big city of Napavine, Washington (population, about 200). I had been in the church there (average attendance at that point, 4-5 people, 6 hand puppets) for about one year and could think of every reason that I should leave and move on to one of the several good offers that I had to do other kinds of ministry, including an offer from a large Christian ministry to return to Hong Kong and work for them there at a very good salary.

I was fasting and praying and asking the Lord to show me which way to go, stay or go. In my heart I wanted to go, but in my "spirit" I knew that God had not released me from Napavine yet. I had gotten a lot of good advice from people, and they had all agreed that I should and could leave. I had done my time and done my best, and it was time for me to go where my talents were better suited for success. I could even rationalize that if I left there would be someone with a better skill set who could come in and build the Napavine church up again too.

I wanted to hear from God, and I wanted to hear Him tell me it was OK to do what I wanted, to move on.

One Monday I went to a "Fellowship Meeting" where the pastors and members from various churches in the county would gather together and have a service, followed by a potluck meal and a time of gathering and talking for the pastors (all pastors love to gather and talk), and then an afternoon service.

A man named Dan Womack was scheduled to preach. Dan was pastoring a nearby church, and although he later became a good friend, at that time I had not met him. Dan was supposed to preach after the time of singing. I had been praying all through the singing and asking the Lord to speak to me. I had been fasting for 2 or 3 days.

As he stood up to preach, he stopped behind the pulpit and stood there for a few minutes with a strange look on his face. Finally he said "don't you hate it when God does this to you. I have been planning to preach a sermon I had preached last weekend, but the Lord has asked me to preach on a different text." Dan then read a portion which included Galatians 5:25. I am not sure what other verses he read with it, but when he read verse 25 I knew it was a message to me from the Lord.

The message? "Dave, if you expect me to lead you in your life, then you need to do the things you know I have told you to do."

It was as simple as that. I needed to stay in Napavine (which I did for another year or so) until God told me to go. If I would do what He told me to do, I could always be confident in His leading.

By the way, the Lord did bring in someone with a much better skill set for the Napavine church, and it is a healthy church that touches its (small) community now.

The lesson was clear to me and has stuck with me for many years, and I was comforted that the Lord would change someones preaching plans to make sure I got the message!