Once, there was a tremendous flood in a large city. The waters covered yards, cars, streets, and yes, even the homes themselves, so only the rooftops could be seen. Many climbed to their rooftops, awaiting help. One man prayed to God to save him from this predicament.
In the midst of his prayer, rescuers paddled a raft over to him, and beckoned him inside. The man shook his head, and merely stated "God will save me." So they left.
The man continued his prayers, and this time he was interrupted by some people in a rowboat. "Come with us," they said.
But the man refused, saying, "God will save me." And they left him there to pray.
A third time he was interrupted by a helicopter dangling a harness. "Strap yourself in," they called over the noise. The man shook his head, and the helicopter flew away.
After a few hours, the man began shouting at the sky. "God! Why do You leave me stranded? Why haven't You taken me away from this horrible place?"
And then the voice of God reverberated through the man's spirit. "My child, three times I sent aid for you, and three times you turned it away."
The lesson in this parable is that God can and does work through humans. Once a person realizes this, he can begin to see the real works of God in his daily life. There is another side to this coin.
Once, there was a man who worshipped God with all his heart. One day, however, he felt as though his life were falling apart. He felt alone, and confused, and so he prayed to God, but it didn't seem to help.
The man went to his church, and spoke with the preacher. With a compassionate tone, the preacher told the man that so long as he continued to trust in God, all would be well. Somewhat consoled, the man returned home.
On the second night, the man felt worse than before, and so he prayed and sought out the preacher. "God cares for all His children," said the preacher. "Turn to Him for guidance, He will not let you down."
On the third night, again he prayed, and again he visited the preacher. "My son," said the preacher, "I have already told you, no one is more able to help you than God Himself. He knows what is best, trust in Him." And the man went home.
Years later, the preacher met a woman on the street whom he recognized as the depressed man's wife, and inquired as to her husband's health. She informed the preacher that her husband had killed himself one year past, then walked away.
The preacher turned his eyes to heaven in grief and said, "Oh Lord, why did he not take my advice and turn to You? Why did he have to take the easy way out?"
The voice of the Lord rumbled within the preachers spirit. "Three times he prayed to me, and three times I sent him to you. Three times, you turned him away in My name."
Christians are so fond of saying "God works in mysterious ways". By this, they generally mean that God doesn't do things directly. On the other hand, when they address someone in need, they instruct them to turn to God as if they should be expecting a miracle any day now, instead of BEING the miracle themselves.
