An allagory of the importance of hearing and obeying the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

A Christian man comes to the end of his life; having been somewhat prosperous in the things of the world; He had need of nothing materially but he’d never found the true love that he needed and desired. He’d been on many dates with colleagues, had short-term relationships and even married later in life, for all the wrong reasons, yet still, he never found that one woman who completed him as a man; his lost rib. He went through life incomplete and lonely. He was a praying, giving man, but prayer isn’t enough to bring you your hearts desire, as he will soon find out.

When the man stood before the Lord and gave thanks for his life and bowed his knee before the King of Kings, acknowledging Him as Lord. Jesus looked at him and said ” My son, is there anything you’d like to ask me before I wipe all tears from your eyes?” The man looked at Jesus and smiled, not wanting to seem ungrateful and said “Lord, I had you in my life, I prayed, you gave me prosperity in the world but the one thing I really desired was true love. Why did I never find her, why did you not give her to me?” Jesus looked at the man with a tear streaming down His cheek as He spoke these words “My son, I prepared her for you from the foundation of the world, I created her in her mother’s womb and I fashioned her heart to be devoted to me first and then to you. She prayed for you often in her heart, but my son, when you prayed, you did not listen to me; when I spoke to you to trust me, you did things the way you wanted to anyway. You see my son, she was close to you, within reach but because you took your life into your own hands, she always remained just one-act of obedience away. I could not bring her to you because the one prayer she prayed in her heart was that her husband would obey and love Me, greater than he loved Himself; she refused to settle for anyone other than who I had prepared for her. It was impossible for me to give her to you because when you prayed, you did so out of duty, not because you truly wanted my direction for your life. You listened to this world and what it offers and did not hear me calling you to work for me. She waited her whole life for you, she loved you until her death”

The man replied to Jesus “Lord, she died before me?” as tears were flowing down his face. Jesus reached for the man and said to him. “Yes, many years ago my son. When you prayed and asked me where you should work, I replied, my son work for me. When you said what job will make me the most money? I replied; my son, work for me, the rewards are much greater but you would not hear me; all you could see is what this world wanted you to be, but my work for you was to go and preach my word to the poor and heal the broken-hearted. Had you obeyed my voice, you would have found her along your journey, waiting patiently for you to come and heal her broken heart. You see, she was abused by her Father, rejected by her mother and did not know what love was supposed to be, after many years of believing someone would come to rescue her, she lost heart; she sold herself to others to find the comfort that she so desperately needed.

One night she dreamed of a man who would come rescue her from her misery and love her like she needed to be loved. As she lay in the street, bleeding and broken by those who said they loved her, she called out to me to help her. I answered her and went to rescue her through you, but you would not obey me. I sent my angel to bring her home, for her suffering was too great. You lived your life as you desired but the one thing you were meant to have, returned to me; without obedience there is no blessing, only death. She found love in my bosom and when I embraced her the one thing she requested of me was “Lord, forgive him for he knows not what he’s doing” That’s why your here before me now and not with the disobedient. She loved you enough to cover you daily in prayer for your disobedience. You suffered through your life because she was not in it my son. It’s a suffering of the heart that only obedience can mend and for that I give you mercy! I also because of love, gave myself for your disobedience and asked my Father to forgive you because you believed in me. “My son, her dream came true, for I love her as she needs to be loved but it was through you that I desired to reveal myself to her. Obedience is much better than sacrifice. Now my son, let me wipe your tears away and enter my joy”

Pamela Halstead
Midnight Oil Ministries