Saturday my husband and I ran errands. We got into the car to leave the first stop and head to the second. The car wouldn’t start.
Nothing. Not even a click.
He looked at me, I looked at him, he said, “Go see if someone can give us a jump.” I got out of the passenger seat to go back inside Sonic to get help while he tried again. It started before I reached the restaurant door so I climbed back into the car.
Weird.
I finished at the credit union (Saturday hours are great), got back in the car. It wouldn’t start. Again nothing.
My husband got out, opened the hood and started checking things. I sat in the driver’s seat to test it when he asked. He wiggled this, adjusted that, but since all his tools were home, we still needed to get there. One final adjustment, he signals me through the windshield to turn the key. This time it started. Next few errands will have to wait for another day. We needed to get the car home before we got completely stranded.
In the driveway at home, Tony checked the car again, turning the key in the ignition.
Nothing.
He pulled his tools out of the garage and went to work. He found a loose battery terminal.
Loose terminal = no battery power to the engine components.
The day before, Friday, I read 1 Chronicles, Chapter 13 about David moving the ark of the covenant. He didn’t follow the instructions God gave on how it must be transported, and bad things befell the men who were moving it.
“David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”
2 Chronicles 13:12 (NASB).
On the surface these two events are not related, yet how many times do we limit the power available to us, the power of God Almighty, because of our fear?
Fear is like a loose battery terminal. It impedes the flow of energy. It prevents us from drawing upon the power of God. Of course, we can’t manipulate God, but we can tighten our connections.
And just like my husband needed his tools to tighten the battery terminal we need our tools, the Scriptures, to keep our connection to God, and His power.
Update. The car is running fine.
Lord, how many times do I limit the power available to me through You by letting fear control my behavior instead of doing things Your way? Help me to learn from David’s mistakes and not repeat them.
paynefulponderings 