Dan Delzell: Bargaining With God in the Dark Room

Last night I had an incredible visit with a good friend from our church as we sat at McDonald's for nearly three hours. Scott and his family all love the Lord and serve Him in wonderful ways. Scott shared with me how he came to know the Lord about 20 years ago after having been a real skeptic for years and even somewhat critical of Christianity.

When Scott was 24 years old, he was getting adjusted to marriage and to the fact that his wife was the daughter of a pastor in the Nazarene church. Scott was already a scientist by that time with degrees in biology and journalism. He was working for a small town newspaper and doing everything from writing articles to developing film for the newspaper photos.

Scott was actually at a point in his life and career where he was experiencing the desire for he and his wife to do three things: (1) Get a new job; (2) Move to a different city; and (3) Leave the church they were attending where Lori's dad was the pastor. Scott had started to read the Bible, but he certainly was not yet convinced that God's Word is the absolute truth.

One night Scott was working late in the dark room while developing some film for the next day's edition. Scott surprised himself when in the darkness of that room he reached out to God and said, "God....if Jesus is your Son and He really is the way....and if He really is everything the Bible says about Him....then I will follow Him." This was especially startling since Scott had only been to church a few times with his wife and he certainly was not sold yet on the whole "Jesus thing."

While Scott did not yet have saving faith in Jesus, he did decide to make this bargain with God and to "test the theory" of Christianity in this way. Little did Scott know that he would almost immediately have a revelation from the Lord in that dark room. Scott describes it as being an experience of great light....not visible to the eye....but light in terms of God giving him a definite response to Scott's proposal.

Scott says God made it clear to him that he was not to get a new job....or move to a different city....or leave that church. Scott was blown away, and he immediately called his wife who was already asleep. He told her that God had spoken to him and that they would not be leaving the community or his job or the church. Scott's "bargain" with God was put to the test right away....and sure enough, Scott stuck to what He had told the Lord. Read more