Branham Stories
God with Skin On
Reminds me of a--there near our place. We live on the Ohio River. And there was a little boy who went to a certain Sunday school, a Baptist Sunday school in our country, and he was very much enthused. One day when he asked his mother, "If this great Person that's called God, that we go to church to worship, if He is such a great Person, wonder if you could let me see Him? I'd like to see Him." Oh, the mother said to her little junior; she said, "Well, sonny, you must ask your Sunday school teacher; mother's not able to provide that answer." So at Sunday school he spoke to his teacher, and she said, "I'm not able to provide that either, so you'd better ask the pastor." After the sermon, they asked the pastor. And the pastor said, "No, sonny." Said, "No man can see God." Said, "God is just like the air, and you cannot see Him." And, of course, that didn't satisfy the little lad.
And he used to chum with an old man down on the Ohio River. And he was an old typical fisherman, the graying in his beard, and he was some sixty-five, seventy years old, batching, living in a little shanty-boat. And I've fished with him myself, and we used to go up around the islands and fish, set jumper lines. So this little lad was with him one day up the river. And on the road back there come up a storm, and they had to rush quickly to the bank to land the little boat; because the waves was so awful big and whitecapping, until it would turn the little craft over. So after the storm was over, and they came from behind the trees, they pushed the little boat off the bank, and got out into the current of the river, which was about one mile across the Ohio River there. Started down the river, drifting along, as the old fisherman was pulling the oars.
And while they were behind the tree, the old fisherman had told the little boy the story (as he'd asked him) why he wasn't married, and didn't have anyone to take care of him. And he said, "Oh, sonny, there's Someone Who takes care of me. And the reason that I am not married, my wife is in heaven waiting for me." And he went on with the story. And as he got out into the current, they were going east with the little boat--or going west, rather, with the little boat, and the old fisherman facing back up the river towards the west, it was in the afternoon, and--and the sun was setting. And after the rain, come a rainbow. And, oh, I think that's a most beautiful time. When the rain has washed all the dirt off the trees, and--and they look so pretty and green in their original colors, and all the flowers are pretty, and the atmosphere's low, and brings the smell of the rose out. It's just a beautiful time after a rain. I think it somehow reminds me after a revival, when the Holy Spirit has come in and washed all the dust out, and--and got us sweetened again before the Lord. Just to stand in the Presence of, like I am this afternoon, just bathing here in the Presence of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit taking all doubts and fears and things away from us, and we stand together, after a--a shower from heaven has filled our souls.
As the old fisherman started pulling his boat on, the little fellow noticed that tears begin to come down the old fisherman's face. And the little lad turned to see what he was looking at, and there was a rainbow across the sky. So the little fellow setting in the stern of the boat, become enthused. So he was holding onto the side of the brail, and he raised up, and run up into the stern of the boat, and fell down at the old fisherman's lap. And he said, "I want to ask you something that my mother, nor my Sunday school teacher, or pastor, can answer for me." And the old fisherman stopped his oaring and said, "What is it, lad?" He said, "I noticed you looking at that rainbow." Said, "They tell me that God put that up there." He said, "That's true, my lad." He said, "If God is so great, could anyone see Him?" And the old fisherman embraced the little boy to his bosom; he said, "Blessings on you, my little lad. Let me tell you something. All that I've seen for the past fifty years has been God." There was so much God on the inside, till he could see Him on the out. Now, that's the only way you're ever going to be able to see God, is get Him on the inside of you, let Him look through your eyes, and He will declare Himself"
