Promise Keeper
Numbers 6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: 3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. 5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
I stopped by Biscuitville the other morning for breakfast as I do many times when I go to Mt Airy. As I was eating I saw a guy come in who looked familiar with long stringy hair. When he sat down a few tables over from me I realized it was a guy I grew up with in high school. He was reading the paper and eating so as I was leaving I went over and spoke to him.
We talked a few minutes about our past, families and health. I noticed when he came in he was a little unstable so I ask him how his health was holding up because we were about the same age. He said he had COPD as I do but, he had a bad stroke a few years ago and stayed in a nursing home in Elkin for over a year because he couldn’t walk and do for himself. He said his wife was partially responsible for putting him there because she couldn’t lift him and care for him. He agreed to be placed in a home because the doctors didn’t think he would ever walk again. He began to tell me that while he was in that nursing home his wife of many years talked him into signing over his home and land into her name only. So he agreed because he thought his home for the rest of his life was that nursing facility. Shortly after signing over the house and land to his wife she let a man move in with her. When my friend found out he was devastated to say the least. He said betrayed was a word he understood now like never before, as you could imagine.
The story doesn’t end there. My friend said a Chaplin visited him shortly after he found out about his wife, probably sent by one of the care takers he said. My friend started explaining to me with a kind of smile on his face that the Chaplin began to tell him to turn it all over to God and He could fix the things in his life that was causing him depression and not caring about his appearance and hygiene. You see, he wouldn’t let them cut his hair and being 65 years old and bed stricken for a year he wasn’t the prettiest sight to behold. My friend said he looked at that Chaplin and ask him “have you ever heard of the Nazarite vow? The Chaplin said “yes I believe so…are you talking about the story of Samson?” My friend said “yes….exactly and I ask God if He would allow me to walk again, I would never cut my hair or drink alcohol and I would live for Him. My friend said that it stunned the Chaplin so he prayed for him and left.
Within a few short weeks he was able to walk again, bought another home, and now lives alone with God being his only caretaker. It was such a great and powerful testimony that I wanted to share with you because I’m sure that very few will ever hear it.
Folks, when we make a vow to live for Christ He comes into our life with a change of heart and a change of mind. It’s about wanting to please Him, wanting to do the right thing to be an example to our children and grandchildren. Can our Lord still heal a cripple man?....absolutely. Our Lord can turn chaos and heartbreak into peace and joy. Our Lord can make a blind man see both physically and spiritually. There is no devastation in life’s storms that our Lord Jesus can’t calm if you take a vow to trust in Him.
Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com
