Today is a rather emotional day for me for two
reasons. One, in my hands is a copy of a book that Carol and I worked on for
over ten years entitled, God is Faithful.
The book is finally in print! The second reason is that the author of the book,
David Wilkerson, died one year ago this week (as I write this). Carol and I
were friends with Brother Dave, as he liked to be called, for nearly five
decades.
About ten years ago while I was having my morning
prayer time, an unusual thought crossed my mind: “If any contemporary writer is
similar to Oswald Chambers, it is David Wilkerson.” I had read Oswald Chambers’
classic My Utmost for His Highest as
a part of my devotional reading for many years. I loved the book, not because I
agreed with everything that Chambers said but because he very positively
provoked me to think about my relationship with God — and I need that.
Later that day I sent a brief note to Brother Dave
outlining what I understood I had heard in prayer and suggested that perhaps he
should think about doing a devotional book. Several weeks later I got a phone
call from Barb Mackery, Carol’s sister, who was David Wilkerson’s
administrative assistant for over forty years. Barb told us that Brother Dave
was interested in the idea of a devotional book and asked if we could pull
together a few examples to let him see what we envisioned the book would be
like. We gleaned some material from his past writings, sent them to him, and
then just left it. Actually, as far as we were concerned, that was the end of
the matter.
But then — you just never know!
Several months later we got a call from Barb and she
told us that Brother Dave wanted to see a daily devotional book developed. My
response was, “That’s great, praise God.” In the back of my mind I was shouting,
“Lord, I’m glad I was listening when You were talking. I was a little concerned
that it was the pizza from the night before talking to me.” I guess my voice
sounded a little incredulous because Barb then said, “You don’t seem to get
what I’m talking about” and I responded, “Get what? I’m happy that a book is
going to be done.” Barb continued, “Yes it it. And Brother Dave wants you and
Carol to do the book!” Now that really floored me! I had never thought of doing
something like that.
You just never know!
We started in on the project and, to put it mildly, finding
365 different devotional thoughts was a very interesting challenge. Carol and I
worked on the project as we had time from our other work and ministry projects.
We submitted the devotionals for Brother Dave’s approval a few at a time and finally,
after many months, we had developed 365 devotionals from his original writings.
We finished our work, presented it to Brother Dave,
and waited to see what the book would look like. Every few months we would
check on the progress and each time the response was essentially the same, “All
the material is in Brother Dave’s hands. It’s on his desk.” Finally, after
several years had gone by, I told Carol, “That project is dead . . . I guess my
idea was stillborn!”
But then — you just never know!
I think it was about five or six years after I had
that thought in prayer that Barb told us they had not found a publisher they
were happy with, so they were going to use the materials and begin a daily
devotional blog that would be available on the Internet.
When she shared that, I sensed a release in my
spirit: “Somebody’s going to read that material after all,” and I felt really
good about it. I immediately went to the blogsite and subscribed to have the
devotionals emailed to me daily.
In December of 2009, Carol and I were having lunch
with Brother Dave and Gwen, just catching up and visiting. Brother Dave
mentioned that nearly 125,000 people per day were reading the devotionals. I
was wonderfully surprised at the large number and that the number of readers
was growing.
But then again — you just never know!
At David Wilkerson’s funeral early last May, Carol
was talking with the young woman who oversees the devotional Internet ministry.
She told Carol that the devotionals are now translated into 15 languages and in
addition to 125,000 who have the devotionals sent to their email address,
thousands more visit the blogsite daily to read the messages.
Why am I telling you this? It is certainly not to
focus attention on myself. If somehow that’s the way this has come across to
you, please believe that is not my intent. What I am trying to say is how astounded
I am at the potential for fruitfulness and favor that exists in one act of
obedience. When the Word of God or the Spirit of God leads us to do something,
our positive response to that leading is pregnant with possibilities.
“If
anyone loves me, he will keep my word [obey my teaching], and my Father will
love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him”
(John 14:23, ESV). One act of obedience releases the power and presence of God.
Jesus is talking about people who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. His
promise is that the presence of God, the blessing and fruitfulness of God, will
rest on obedient believers. How will that fruitfulness manifest itself?
You just never know. That is fully
up to Him.
After Brother Dave’s
death, Chosen Books came into the picture as publisher of the book, entitled God Is Faithful, with the vision of releasing it on the first anniversary of his
death. The book should be at your local Christian bookstore or, even better, you
can order it through David’s organization, World Challenge. Their contact
information is below.
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