There's nothing wrong with humble beginnings. I can recall the book of Proverbs, where King Solomon, or Uncle Solomon for those of us who are in the body of Jesus Christ, is mentioned. Well, he did say that in
Proverbs 4:7 (KJV)
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom, and with all thy getting, you get understanding.
Well, I figure that for that to be true, a person must become a student of all things related to gaining knowledge, especially if it is essential for one's daily lifestyle.
We all need the best possible forms of transportation. I can remember scratching my head as a young boy when I found parts in my grandfather's shed, such as alternators, and wondering: What's this stuff? How does it work? Where does it go?
I hadn't grasped anything mechanical until after selling my favorite truck, a 1998 Ford F150 Larriot extended cab, 4.6 liter V8. It was my pride and joy. Nicely potent, I purchased it preowned with only 35,000 miles.
I had recently left the Auto sales industry and leaped forward into the telephone splicing industry. At the time, entry-level splicing seemed to have a more promising future. I required a truck to carry tools and a 28-foot ladder.
I hadn't paid much attention to engines other than changing my oil and air filters. The truck was a fantastic machine. I was more capable than expected. While working in the telephone industry, I was allowed to haul an additional utility vehicle—an F250. Honestly, thinking back, it should have been the heavier vehicle pulling the F150.
Still, we pioneered from the Houston, Texas, area to Phoenix, Arizona, and occasionally Tucson. It truly was an excellent experience. However, there was a bit of a discrepancy with Bell South, so instead of working, we ended up vacationing.
At that time, financial matters were more like taking your vehicle to your choice of shop and getting it done whatever your heart desired. Other than the Flowmaster performance muffler, I considered a supercharger, but oh, how much of an expense that would have been, and I only cared to have restored it back to its original state.
Not genuinely knowing any mechanical know-how, I was forced to find possible quick fixes with local repair shops and ask if you had any significant issues with your vehicle. You were hoping whatever problems occurred, you could get them done quickly and relax. This wasn't the case; little did I know the Lord had other plans for me.
The Lord Jesus, being the good shepherd he is, is always teaching. If we are willing to learn and allow His Lordship, he will guide us and elevate us to higher places of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. I say this because I only thought that I had reached my pinnacle and that I was living as an evangelical person, ministering and encouraging other brothers and sisters, oftentimes unknowingly others who were hearing God Jehovah's word for possibly the first time.
It was a shock to find these things out. I mention this because I least expected the Holy Spirit to lead me to Psalms 37:4 continually: Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Of course, I researched it to gain a deeper understanding so that I could delight myself in the Lord and receive my heart's desire.
Little did I know that the Lord was going to change my desires. It's wild how he changed my desire to fix my F150 to desire a Chevrolet 1500, a truck that I felt was so ugly that it was impossible to convince me to make a purchase. God had a plan to not only change my desire but also show me and others around me what true worth really is.
It reminds me of the shepherd boy we read about becoming the next King of Israel after King Saul. If it was up to human thinking, David would not have ever been chosen due to his outside appearance. All seven (7) of his older brothers appeared to fit the part. They looked like what we would consider a worthy person for the role. Interestingly, the spirit of the Lord knew neither of David's brothers would fit the role of a true King. It took more than looks; it took wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and compassion. Most importantly, it took heart, the fearless heart of a Lion,
Proverbs 28:1 (ISV)
says that the wicked flee when no one pursues them, but the Righteous are bold like lions.
I'm telling you part of King David's back story, which he said King Saul before the famous Shepherd boy became king, before his fight with the Giant. We must see Proverbs 28:1 in effect throughout David's entire entry to Kingship before his brothers. God would have foreseen the lives of his brothers before the anointing of King David. We all know that David's brothers were strong-looking and tall, according to what the prophet Samuel saw.
As we fast forward to where their father, Jesse, told David to take food to his older brothers, who were in the army. We have to consider that no one in their camp was willing to go to battle with Goliath. We have to think that the soldiers of Israel were trained well in warfare. In contrast, David, still being a Shepherd boy, had no military advantage other than his willingness to go into battle with the giant. His only possible training was when he took in an inventory count of his father's sheep.
David realized on two occasions he was missing one lost sheep. David, would take the remaining sheep and place them in safety, while he would go out in search for this one lost sheep. He found a sheep twice, but one lost sheep was in the mouth of a Lion, and on another occasion, another in the mouth of a Bear. As David explained to King Saul, he grabbed the creatures by the hair and slew them with his dagger-like weapon, killing the animals, on similar, but separate occasions.
I am not here to bash Ford over with Chevrolet, Theses are both great Trucks, indeed, I am only saying that the Lord changed my desires. From wanting to restore a vehicle and to desire the performance of another. How did I end up wishing for the Silverado?
It is tough to tie these stories into each other to prove a point, but speaking in close association with the idea that God controls our desires, I can say for the better to align us with what more extraordinary things he has in store for us.
To make it better understood, the Lord loves the spirit of the pure-hearted person. Indeed, he taught us from my words of saying what I said based on what the outer appearance looked like and took me by the hand to teach me that the vehicle's beauty was in its ability to perform well.
Indeed, we walk by FAITH and not by sight.