In
the years of the Great Depression, there were still people
who had expendable cash. As a result, there were various and
sundry forms of entertainment available. One such venue was
the traveling circus. To advertise, crude posters were
attached to telephone poles and store fronts, announcing the
time, date, location, and of course, the price for
admission. According to an old story, there was a little boy
who was from a painfully poor family, who read one of the
posters, and immediately wanted desperately to attend. He
knew his dad and mom were working for mere pennies a day,
while at the same time trying to take care of their aging
parents and him. He knew they couldn't afford the ten
cent admission price. Knowing it was hopeless to ask, the
little boy sat down on the dilapidated front porch his
family called a home, and began to cry. Hearing his son
crying, the little boy's dad came to check on him. When the
man realized how much his son wanted to go to the circus, he
tenderly reached into his pocket and produced a dime, and
placed it in the boy's hand. The little boy was so excited!
He hugged and kissed his dad, and skipped off to see the
circus. When he arrived, he saw a long parade of
unbelievable sights! He saw a bear ride by on a tricycle!
Next he saw a man riding upon the back of an elephant. One
by one, the different acts of the circus paraded by the
little boy who sat with mouth gaping, and eyes as big as
saucers. The last thing to pass by was a clown with huge
shoes, a big red nose, and painted on smile. As he passed
the crowd he was reaching out to them, shaking their hands.
When the clown came close to the little boy with his hand
outstretched, the little boy happily placed the dime into
the clown's hand. The clown looked at the dime, ruffled the
boy's hair and followed the rest of the circus people into a
giant tent. When the little boy tried to follow the clown, a
big man with angry eyes told him it would cost ten cents to
see the circus inside the tent. The little boy told the man
how he had paid the clown his ten cents. The man refused to
believe the little boy, and told him to go home before he
got into trouble. So, the little boy went home. On the way
home, he had a hard time swallowing the giant lump in his
throat. When his dad saw him returning so soon, he asked him
if he had seen the circus. The little boy told his dad what
happened and began sobbing uncontrollably as his dad tried
to console him. Unfortunately, the little boy only saw a
glimpse of what he was supposed to see inside the big top
tent! He saw the animals, acrobats, trainers, and clowns
pass him by. He even saw the man with shiny clothes and big
top hat go strutting by like he was in charge. But he never
got to experience the full show! He missed out on the flying
trapeze act. He didn't see the elephant balance on a ball.
He didn't get to laugh at the shenanigans of a whole troop
of clowns! He never saw the lion trainer place his head
inside of the great animal's mouth. All because he paid the
clown what his father had given him! All because his
expectations had been prematurely met, as a result of his
lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6, says, "My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge." Many times we have
not experienced what God the Father has planned for us
because we were not in tune with HIS TRUTH. Sometimes we may
have had a tendency to rely upon the knowledge others offer
us. Perhaps we haven't sought the fullness of the Lord for
ourselves. God is calling us to experience the FULLNESS of
His power! Unless we study what that means in His Word, we
may be paying the clown! The little boy was restricted from
entering the big top, because he unwittingly paid the clown.
What he THOUGHT was the circus, was only a parade! We may be
experiencing restricted SPIRIT FLOW because we are
unwittingly paying the clown. If we are seeking the signs
and wonders BEFORE seeking the LORD HIMSELF...we are in
effect, paying the clown. If we are seeking to be validated
through spiritual manifestations, INSTEAD of being validated
by the Holy Spirit from Whom naturally FLOW gifts and
manifestations...we are paying the clown. ANYTIME we
are MORE focused on ourselves, and what we WANT, instead of
realizing the ever present GOODNESS of JESUS CHRIST...we are
paying the clown. And the clown (the enemy), will ALWAYS
take what isn't his...especially when it is willingly
offered to him! We must be VIGILANT! We must be walk
circumspectly! We must seek DAILY the FULLNESS of the Holy
Spirit! We should never be satisfied with restricted FLOW.
God is willing to pour out His POWER on us. "For I will
pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry
ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and
My blessing on your offspring." (Isaiah 44:3 NKJV) Why
would we settle for a trickle, when God wants to give us
floods of HIS GOODNESS!? We shouldn't! May we live
EXPECTING GOD'S BEST! Get out your SPIRITUAL wading
boots...it's beginning to rain!
Your
Partner In Ministry,
Greg McCowen
Covenant Life Fellowship - Lubbock
Church - (806) 771-4244
