While fishing in the dark in a very deep canyon can present very obvious problems it can produce some unexpected experiences as well.
It was a warm summer night about 2:00 AM, dark would be an understatement as the moon was nonexistent at least in the bottom of our canyon. Trout was the target in this midsize river. We were fishing in a pool below Rapids, at a bend in the River. Our bait of choice, grasshoppers With a small split shot weight about 10 inches up the line. A short cast upstream With a natural drift was producing very well. I decided to change it up a bit, Casting high and hard trying to reach the rapids around the bend, however my line kept peeling from my spinning reel. I closed the bail on the reel and my line pulled tight with my rod tip pointing up toward the night sky. It seems a bat swooped down and caught the grass hopper and was carrying it off.
We can go to evangelize, well prepared ,with certain expectations to be totally derailed with unexpected results. Do you experience people you talk to taking you down a rabbit trail away from the Gospel? If so examine your message. Are you trying to manipulate the conversation with enticing and clever words used in a crafty presentation or are you allowing the Holy Spirit to manipulate the presentation in the power of God?
Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”
Make certain your message is about Jesus, not answering silly questions. Always take them back to Jesus do not let them lead you away.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Let the Spirit of God lead your presentation!
John 16:8 “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”