Honi the Hall of Famer

February 16, 2013 Michael Jordan turned 50. His basketball ‘Airness,’ has been immortalized by talent which defies gravity. ‘I want to be like Mike’ became a basketball enthusiast mantra. 

If basketball can have its Hall of Famers, so can us followers of Jesus.   Yesterday I introduced to you Honi the CircleMaker. Some want to be “just like Mike”, but I want to be “humble like Honi”. 

The historical story of Honi the Circle Maker is embedded in Jewish history and culture.  He carried no prophet credentials but he functioned as one none the less.  He learned the way up is found somewhere down in a circle of humility. Surely Honi had a favorite prophet he quoted. One thing I’m sure of--he never thought his words would be quoted like Isaiah or Jeremiah.  This Jewish commoner was anything but common!

How could this be?  Because Honi knew his God to be an extraordinary God.  Listen to the prayer he prayed in the circle that ended the drought in 1^st century BC: 

“Lord of the Universe, I swear before Your great name that I will not move from this circle until You have shown mercy upon Your children.”

Mark Batterson (the author of ‘The Circle Maker’) writes about the God Honi prayed to and the God you and I pray to:  

“God is great not just because nothing is too big for Him; God is also great because nothing is too small.  The Sovereign One cares about every minute detail of our lives.  Every act of obedience, no matter how small, makes our heavenly Father proud.  Every act of faith puts a smile on His face.  Every sacrifice, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us, makes a difference.”

Drawing your circle will make you just like Honi.  When Honi drew his circle, all he knew was that he was going in to stay, and he wasn’t coming out until God sent rain.  That made him a biblical “Hall of Famer” in my book.  Find your faith and draw your circle. Then find the humility to step in and stay. That same faith and humility that Honi demonstrated can make you a Hall of Famer, too.

In our 40-Day Journey to Easter we are reflecting each day on our own Via Delarosa (the way of the cross).  I’m challenging you to step into that prayer circle daily. If the God you are praying to can send rain and raise the dead, He can answer your prayers, too. So be humble like Honi and pray to ‘the Lord of the Universe’.  And like Honi, step into your circle of prayer and trust our Big God to prove to you that nothing is too hard for Him, or you!

I’ll meet you at the Throne,

Pastor George