The Power of One Person
No doubt that by now, if you've been watching the news, you have heard about the resolution of the Brian Nichols shooting spree and his surrender to the authorities on Saturday. Escapee Brian Nichols ended up taking Ashley Smith hostage for 13 hours before surrendering to authorities. Many have the question, "Why did Nichols surrender without a bit of animus after having shot at least four other people?" The answer is that Brian Nichols surrendered because of the power of the Holy Spirit to act through the life of one Christian woman.
During the 13 hours Nichols held Smith hostage, Ms. Smith read to Brian Nichols from both the Bible and Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life. The Bible tells us that God will give us Christians the strength we will need for every situation in life through the Holy Spirit. There are too many examples of how God empowered people to achieve in His name to be listed here. Among them are Moses, Abraham, Joseph, Esther, Peter, and Paul. Each of these people opened themselves up to being led by God and empowered to do his will in the most hostile of situations. And yet we often don't think that we can live up to the examples of these great people of faith. They are nearly mythic. But, what Ashley Smith did on Saturday morning was no less God-empowered than these "heroes of the faith."
People will ask, though, why didn't God do something about the church members who were shot to death in Brookfield, Wisconsin? I don't know. Plain and simple. I can only speculate. It must be remembered though that, for Christians, death is not a terrible circumstance. For Christians, death is merely the first step in going to be with Jesus -- the goal of our Christian lives. For those Christians who were shot, they are standing beside Christ right now. But we will not know on this side of Heaven what God's plan is for the Brookfield church.
What should we learn from these events? First, God acts through His people and He empowers them to accomplish His goals. Be open to His leading in your life. Also, be aware that God's plans are not always evident. We cannot see as God sees. But trust in God will always be rewarded.
I praise God not only for His witness through Ashley Smith, but I also praise Him for showing His power through everyday people -- everyday heroes of the faith.
During the 13 hours Nichols held Smith hostage, Ms. Smith read to Brian Nichols from both the Bible and Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life. The Bible tells us that God will give us Christians the strength we will need for every situation in life through the Holy Spirit. There are too many examples of how God empowered people to achieve in His name to be listed here. Among them are Moses, Abraham, Joseph, Esther, Peter, and Paul. Each of these people opened themselves up to being led by God and empowered to do his will in the most hostile of situations. And yet we often don't think that we can live up to the examples of these great people of faith. They are nearly mythic. But, what Ashley Smith did on Saturday morning was no less God-empowered than these "heroes of the faith."
People will ask, though, why didn't God do something about the church members who were shot to death in Brookfield, Wisconsin? I don't know. Plain and simple. I can only speculate. It must be remembered though that, for Christians, death is not a terrible circumstance. For Christians, death is merely the first step in going to be with Jesus -- the goal of our Christian lives. For those Christians who were shot, they are standing beside Christ right now. But we will not know on this side of Heaven what God's plan is for the Brookfield church.
What should we learn from these events? First, God acts through His people and He empowers them to accomplish His goals. Be open to His leading in your life. Also, be aware that God's plans are not always evident. We cannot see as God sees. But trust in God will always be rewarded.
I praise God not only for His witness through Ashley Smith, but I also praise Him for showing His power through everyday people -- everyday heroes of the faith.
Posts
