J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, told of an interesting sight he saw while taking a walk in the country. As he walked along, he looked across a field and saw a house in the distance. Beside the house was what looked like a man, pumping furiously on the handle of an old-fashioned water pump. As Gordon watched, the man continued to pump at a tremendous rate. He seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without ever slowing in the slightest, much less stopping.

Truly, it was a remarkable sight, so Gordon started to walk toward the house. As he got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump; instead, it was a wooden figure painted to look like a man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow, and the hand was wired to the pump handle.

The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man!

When you see a man who is at work for God and producing results, recognize that it is the Holy Spirit working through him, not the man’s effort, that is giving results. All he has to do—and all you have to do – is keep your hand on the handle.

With Love,

Mike