The Chariot Ride

[NOTE: This post from Jeremiah Tatum was originally posted on his personal blog, Ancient Words, in 2008. We have reprinted it here with his permission for his article this week.]

Everybody needs somebody. Once on the road to Gaza a man came upon a chariot. In the chariot he saw a man who was reading from the book of Isaiah. But the man didn’t understand what he was reading. So the man in the chariot invited the man on the road to join him in his chariot. Everybody needs somebody.
One of the greatest honors one can ever receive is an invitation into someone else’s chariot. Seldom do people allow others to ride with them. On occasion, I have been offered such a ride. I am so thankful to those who have asked me to ride with them. In some small way I hope I have helped to make a difference.

There have also been times when I have invited others into my chariot. I am thankful that they were willing to spend time with me, and could help me understand the truth in a better way. They had to be patient with me. They had to know the truth themselves before they could show it to me. I am so grateful for their influence and the changes and hope that their moments in my chariot brought into my life.
We are all riding in a chariot. But where we may be able to go depends on our willingness from time to time to let others ride with us. God urges us, not only to allow others to ride, but also to overtake chariots who need guidance, faith , and hope. And at the end of our lives, when we get to our desired destination, there will be no doubt in our minds about how we were able to arrive safely. In our hearts we will know what made the difference. It was what we learned on the chariot ride.