Divine Advice
A businessman was in a great deal of trouble. His business was failing, he had put everything he had
into the business, he owed everybody it was so bad he was even contemplating suicide. As a last resort
he went to a pastor and poured out his story of tears and woe.
When he had finished, the pastor said, "Here's what I want you to do, put a beach chair and your Bible
in your car and drive down to the beach. Take the beach chair and the Bible to the water's edge, sit
down in the beach chair, and put the Bible in your lap. Open the Bible; the wind will rifle the pages, but
finally the open Bible will come to rest on a page. Look down at the page and read the first thing you
see. That will be your answer, that will tell you what to do."
A year later the businessman went back to the pastor and brought his wife and children with him. The
man was in a new custom- tailored suit, his wife in a mink coat, the children shining. The businessman
pulled an envelope stuffed with money out of his pocket and gave it to the pastor as a donation in
thanks for his advice.
The pastor recognized the benefactor, and was curious. "You did as I suggested?" he asked.
"Absolutely," replied the businessman.
"You went to the beach?"
"Absolutely."
"You sat in a beach chair with the Bible in your lap?"
"Absolutely."
"You let the pages rifle until they stopped?"
"Absolutely."
"And what were the first words you saw?"
"Chapter 11."
A businessman was in a great deal of trouble. His business was failing, he had put everything he had
into the business, he owed everybody it was so bad he was even contemplating suicide. As a last resort
he went to a pastor and poured out his story of tears and woe.
When he had finished, the pastor said, "Here's what I want you to do, put a beach chair and your Bible
in your car and drive down to the beach. Take the beach chair and the Bible to the water's edge, sit
down in the beach chair, and put the Bible in your lap. Open the Bible; the wind will rifle the pages, but
finally the open Bible will come to rest on a page. Look down at the page and read the first thing you
see. That will be your answer, that will tell you what to do."
A year later the businessman went back to the pastor and brought his wife and children with him. The
man was in a new custom- tailored suit, his wife in a mink coat, the children shining. The businessman
pulled an envelope stuffed with money out of his pocket and gave it to the pastor as a donation in
thanks for his advice.
The pastor recognized the benefactor, and was curious. "You did as I suggested?" he asked.
"Absolutely," replied the businessman.
"You went to the beach?"
"Absolutely."
"You sat in a beach chair with the Bible in your lap?"
"Absolutely."
"You let the pages rifle until they stopped?"
"Absolutely."
"And what were the first words you saw?"
"Chapter 11."
