A man stopped to have his shoes polished by a shoeshine boy. The boy had his equipment handy and had offered to shine the man’s shoes for a dollar. While the boy’s hands were busy with the job, he said to the man, “Mister, do you love God?”
Perhaps no one had ever asked the man such a question before, and he was not pleased. “What difference does it make to you whether I love God or not?” he asked the boy.
“Lots of difference. If you love God you will be able to pray that my mother and I will get a new place to live. The house where we are now is gonna be torn down, and we have no place to go. I heard yesterday that God answers prayers for people who love Him. Now I’m asking everybody, and I can’t find anyone who loves God!”
The man seemed bothered by the conversation and he said, “Ask somebody else. In this city full of churches, you’ll find someone who loves God.”
At the end of the day, the boy was totally discouraged. In the whole day, I haven’t found one person who loves God, he thought. But one of his shoeshine customers directed him to Steve, who was a real Christian believer.
Steve brought his Bible and had a good chat with the boy. “God so loved the world,” Steve read, “that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Steve explained to the boy about the God who loved him so much that He sent His only Son to die for him. The boy began to understand that his new friend loved God because God loved him first. Steve explained that you can’t stir up love to God in your own heart. It grows in your heart in answer to the great love God has for you. One way God has shown us His love is that even though we are sinners, Christ died for us. The Son of God gave Himself for me. When you think of that, you can only love Him back!
“Thank you, sir,” said the shoeshine boy. “Now I think I know God well enough to ask Him myself.”
Steve said he heard the boy pray in simple trust. And our faithful, loving God delights to answer prayer. A few days later, the shoeshine boy and his mother were happily settled in a new place to live.
ML-01/24/2010