I was only fifteen when I was employed at a Motor-bike garage to deal with customers and help out with clerical work. One of my first tasks every morning was to put the kettle on and make a cup of tea for the boss and their only mechanic when they arrived. I arrived one bitterly cold morning to find the taps frozen up and no water to make tea. When the boss arrived I told him, and he calmly told me to go upstairs and get the kettle. There was a tap in the yard fixed to the wall, and I came back with the kettle to see the boss draping pieces if old oily rags over the outside tap, after which he poured what I thought was water, but soon smelt was petrol all over the rags. He made me stand well back, and said “you don’t see me doing what I am doing, and don’t ever do this yourself”.
Lighting a match he allowed it to burn briefly then threw it onto the petrol soaked rags. With a great ‘woomph’ it fired the rags, and burned for several minutes. Then knocking the burning rags off with a tyre lever, he used another old rag to turn the tap, and out flowed the water for our kettle and cupper ‘
Without the boss we would not have had our morning tea. All through my life I have remembered this Bible text “Without Me” said Jesus “you can do nothing”.
In Mark ch4 and Luke 5 we have the story of Jesus teaching the crowd by the lake side. When the people pressed close upon Him He looked around, and saw two fishing boats. So He got into the one, which was Simon’s, and Jesus could now sit and continue to teach the people. It seems that Jesus always knows the best solution to a situation. When Jesus finished teaching He told Simon to pull away from the shore and start fishing. Simon, and every fisherman right up to today knows that the fish can only be caught in the dark, at night. Simon did not want to let his nets down at this time, they had not even caught anything fishing all that night. But when the boss says something, you do it, even though you think it’s a crazy idea. The result was that Simon caught so many fish his boat was full up and nearly sinking under the weight, they called the other boat to come and help, and that too was filled right up and almost sinking.“Without Me you can do nothing” Jesus says. That is true ! but With Him the Results are just fantastic ! How can I say this ? Well, I have seen for myself so many real miracles just likethis one and they were all done by His gracious hand, while I could do nothing, theyleave me just full of wonder and praise.And I want others to know how great your God is.
Sincerely yours Gerald Gossage