THE WORKER

I see in a vision an African man working in a field. The field is large. The day is hot. He is weary from the many hours of toil. He works alone. There is no one to help him. I see him pause and straighten up from his labor. He wipes his brow with an old, faded piece of cloth. He looks around. There is so much work yet to do. The going is slow, sometimes tedious. He is tempted to quit. "The work is too hard he would say; there is no one to help me. I have done my share." But he does not give up. He will continue what he is doing. He put his hand to the plow and he will not turn back now. Once again he bends over and works with his hoe.

Now, I see another man coming to him from across the way. This man is different. He walks straight to the weary man and touches his shoulder. "I have been watching you," he says, "and I have come with a message for you. God sees your labor and your faithfulness. It will not go unrewarded. He has sent me to you to tell you to be strong, do not give up, your reward will be great. And He has also asked me to give to you this cup of cool water."

Many times I preached to pastors in Africa, knowing I could not do the work that they were doing. They are with their own people. They know the language, live in the culture. I was a stranger, of a different culture, language and color. But I could give them a cup of cool water in the name of the Lord. How refreshing it was to see them drink in the encouragement and resolve not to give up, but to be faithful in what God had called them to do.