Floyd & Sally McClung

When I was growing up, I often heard my mother say - “when opportunity knocks, answer the door.”  My mother had sayings for just about everything - I only wish I had wrote them all down!  Common sense, fun, amusing phrases of wisdom!

In my mind, the word opportunity has always had a positive meaning or connotation to it.  It’s an unexpected benefit or possibility……a chance for something because of some favorable circumstance.

The idea of “opportunity knocking” has taken on a different, and much less positive, meaning here in South Africa.  Crime has been rising, and some of the most common crimes are what they call “crimes of opportunity.”  Someone may not be planning a specific crime (usually robbery), but when they see an opportunity, they go for it.  Usually there is an open door or window that is right there in front of them, so they reach in or walk in and grab what they can get quickly.  The most popular items seem to be lap top computers, cell phones, money……..but anything is fair game.  I heard of one person who had a vase stolen that was sitting by the window, and another person lost a jar of peanut butter.  It doesn’t seem to matter how valuable the item is…….it’s just there ready to be taken.

A friend of mine has been trying to save her extra rand to buy bricks to pave her walkway.  Whenever she has a little extra, she buys a few bricks (R.7 - $1 each).  She was getting a nice sized pile of them and was ready to make her walkway.  Then one day she looked and the pile had almost entirely disappeared.  She found out people had been taking them 2, 3, 4 at a time from her yard and just walking away.

I would like to suggest that we pray for this trend to be reversed……..that we ask for eyes to be blinded to these types of opportunity!  I think we should pray for a greater fear of the Lord in people’s hearts.  Fear of the police or of being caught doesn’t seem to be working!  I remember hearing testimonies of the revival that came to the Hebrides islands.  When revival came, most of the bars were closed because no one was going to them!  The move of the Spirit was so great, and the fear of the Lord was so strong in people’s hearts, that they left the bars and knelt in the fields crying out to God in repentance.  I believe that type of move of God can happen again!  Would you join with me in praying for a miracle like that here in South Africa?  Let’s believe for a revelation of God and His righteousness, a birthing of the fear of the Lord in people’s hearts, that will begin to break the stronghold of crime…….all kinds of crime, including the ones of opportunity!

“The fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil.”  Psalms 8:13