Huff n Puff
Far out in the back country, was a small rural town, and the white church with the red roof was nicely situated on the street corner and it had a faithful wee “Reed Organ,” not very big, but it worked very well, that is as long as the organist paddled and pedaled the two bellows under their feet flat out, just like a duck in the river, but only then was there enough wind to make sound, slow up the peddling and things grew quickly faint and silent, no matter what keys and stops were activated, no “Huff n Puff” and no sound. Well some funds were raised, and a newer and much larger reed organ was purchased, so the wee one was kindly donated to a little church on the side of a gravel road, far back up in a narrow valley, way back in the hills, and many decades later, it is still operating perfectly, well as long as you pedal flat out too keep the “Huff n Puff” blowing, rich music will always flows forth.
Well back in town, the grand new organ had problems, now as it was a much larger instrument, therefore it required way more “Huff n Puff” and especially when the organist used its much larger range of stops, or let it roar its potential volume. But the organist’s legs got tired, or they forgot to start peddling before playing, so it often squeaked instead of filling the church with rich sound. One cunning parishioner, got a bright idea, now there was a new industrial sized vacuum cleaner available, and it pumped out just about the right volume of air, so it was purchased, slid under the floor of the church, a hose connected the exhaust of the vacuum to the organ, and at the flick of a switch, there was permanently a good volume of “Huff n Puff” for all occasions. If you listened, you heard it, just before the organist played, there was a soft click of a switch, followed by a hum of the vacuum, and then the rich full organ tones filled the air, and then the congregation joined in to lift the rafters with joyous singing, beautiful and worshipful.
Question; do you and I have enough “Huff n Puff” or do we kinda run out of steam, just flop down panting, or find that we do not even have enough “Huff n Puff” to even start out on anything. So how much “Huff n Puff” do you actually have, or do you need a little extra “Puff” to help you out occasionally, or even most of the time? Let us get adventurous and play with this concept, with this verse, Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power [Huff n Puff], after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Playing with is concept here, the Holy Spirit can quickly plug his hose pipe into us, and start the effectual blowing, and then we have an endless supply of “Huff n Puff” for all occasions, even when we play a grand Orchestral Piece, that requires our fullest and grandest, we still have ample “Huff n Puff” to perform with applause. Matthew 25:21 “His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” When we all get to stand in judgment before God, this is what we want to hear, well done thou good and faithful servant, and then we can happily elevate the Holy Spirit, who gave us our “Huff n Puff” in the first place, and it is only through the blessing of the Holy Spirit that anything good ever came forth from us, as we are weak and breathless, way down on the essential “Huff n Puff.”
Let us adapt another verse, Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you “Huff n Puff.” Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find “Huff n Puff” to bless souls. For my “Huff n Puff” [is] uplifting, and the effort is light.” Jesus is asking you to bring to him your everything, including your “Breathlessness,” and he will “Huff n Puff” through the Holy Spirit, so that beautiful music, beautiful character, “Godliness” will abound in your everything, and in every fiber of your being, and then it will be, Colossians 1:27b “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Then you can sing, “not I but Christ,” who giveth me all the “Huff n Puff” that I will, and do ever need, and abundantly more than we do or think, that endless supply of “Huff n Puff,” that power of the Living God, working in and through us, to his praise, honour and glory.
So are you “Breathless,” or full of “Huff n Puff?” Are we still trying to do it “My Way,” by peddling and paddling as fast as you can, or are we empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Power of God working in us, flowing through us in ample breath of Heaven, breath that gives us always “Huff n Puff?” So why do we get so conned, that we can do it “My Way,” and do a rubbish job of it, huffing and wheezing through life, either as a non-performer, or in the odd fit and start, when we can be constant. Let us use another verse, 2 Timothy 4:1-2 MSG “I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple.” Do you need connecting with the Holy Spirit for some real “Huff n Puff,” or are you already connected, but are you still holding the hose in your hand cooling your face instead of plugging it into you and then let the breezes blow and the music play? Howz your “Huff n Puff?”
