Playing with God....

I just want share my encounters this morning....I was taking care of some things before heading to work....On a corner I see this same man that I usually see early in the morning looking haggard, like he's been up all night."
I felt from the Lord to pull over and after our pleasant "Good Mornings" I asked him how he was....he began to tell me of the pain he was in.  I know he has a serious drinking problem but you can't come across a nicer guy....he just needs Jesus.
I listened to him and expressed concern for him.  And then I began to talk to him about asking God to deliver him....I asked him "I've talked to you so many times about your life...about God who loves you so much and about asking Him to change your life...save you...why don't you ask Him to deliver you?"  He said something that really struck me.  He said, "I don't want to play with Him."  I told him that God knows him and that he is being respectful."  But I told him that God can deliver him but also take away the desires and things that he thinks he cannot let go of...He said, "I believe that."...

And then along comes another guy....with his bottle in his bag...."Hey how you doin?  You know I love you!  I've always loved you!!!  Do you  know who I am?"  "No" I answered.
He said, "Your dad had my picture up in his barbershop when I was boxing!"  And through the worn hairy, dishoveled downtrodden look on his face, I saw that boxer on my Dad's wall.  I told him I remembered him and began to talk to him about asking God to deliver him.  He said "you sound like your Dad!  We were close."  I asked him if my Dad ever talked to him about his soul, he responded"All the time!"  I continued to talk to both of them and then drove on to work.

But while driving I began to think about what the first man said, "I don't want to play with Him."  It struck me that this man would rather not play games with God and remain in his sinful state until he felt he could change.  I thought of the verse "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them... "  John 6:44.   I believe he and I have had so many conversations because God IS drawing him....but how many Christians are taking their salvation for granted?  How?  By the lackadaisical way they live for God, their prayer life or lack thereof, loving people the way Jesus commanded.

Are we taking God for Granted?  Heaven forbid!

I'm going to keep talking to this man and others...God is drawing people to Himself.

He's coming soon!