Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Letting Go Of The Wheel - #4328

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

My wife says that she knows that we're in serious danger when I start rubbing my right leg (when I'm driving, that is). You see, we are both marathon drivers - and the problem is, I really like to drive. And I hate to ride. So we have found ourselves in situations where I was starting to drive past my, shall we say, prime alertness. First sign of sleepiness - rubbing my leg. I'm sure it's an involuntary reflex. She asks if I'd like her to drive. Of course not. Second sign - I start doing calisthenics to stay alert. She asks if I'd like her to drive. No way. Next sign of impending disaster - I turn on the most obnoxious radio station I can find. Again, she suggests that she drive. I answer, "I'm fine!" Then I roll down the window, even though the wind chill is 30 below. Now, a little more insistent, she says, "Honey, please let me drive." Finally - just before we become a National Safety Council statistic - I pull over to the side of the road and relinquish the wheel. And I'm out cold before she can pull out on the highway again.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Letting Go Of The Wheel."

My wife sometimes has a hard time getting me to let go of the wheel. God knows that feeling - maybe with you, too. Some of us hang onto control for as long as we can, not realizing that we are heading for a crash if we don't let go. And we're missing miracles that God so wants to do in our lives - because we refuse to relinquish control.

You see that in flesh-and-blood in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Kings 5:1 . Naaman is Syria's greatest general, described in these words: "a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy." He has a problem that is beyond his control. His Jewish servant girl suggests that he go to the prophet Elisha in Israel to be healed by God. It's interesting how Naaman goes about it.

"So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold" - you get the idea - he's going to use his wealth to buy himself a cure. Then he decides to use his connections to get well - he goes right to the top, the king of Israel. The king says "Hey, I can't help you" and he sends Naaman where he should have gone in the first place - to Elisha. Now here comes the motorcade: "So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to him..." Now imagine how that went over. The prophet won't even come out and see the mighty general - he delegates it to his servant.

Finally, the method of getting cured is not what Naaman wants or expects - to dip himself seven times in the muddy waters of the Jordan River. He almost leaves, still dying of leprosy. But he finally humbles himself, immerses himself in the river, and "his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy." Here's Naaman's exciting testimony to Elisha: "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel ... I will never again make sacrifices to any other god but the Lord."

There's a lot of Naaman in a lot of us. We want to hold on to the wheel, do it our way, maintain control, contribute to a solution, maintain our pride. But there's no miracle there - not until God has squeezed the last drop of you out of solving this, so you will know, as never before, His power and His love. God's answer is going to require your humility, not your help, and probably come from a source you would not plan on or expect. The sooner you release control, the sooner God will respond and the sooner the cure will be yours.

You've been stubbornly hanging onto the wheel. God's been asking you over and over, "Isn't it time you let Me drive?" You'll get so much farther so much faster if you do. You'll crash if you don't. Isn't it time you pull over and finally let the Lord have the wheel?