I asked God to take away my pride. God said, “No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.” I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, “No. Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.” I asked God to grant me patience. God said, “No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn’t granted, it is learned.” I asked God to give me happiness. God said, “No. I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.” I asked God to spare me pain. God said, “No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.” I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, “No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.” I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, “No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.” I ask God to help me love others, as much as he loves me. God said, “Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!” _ What if God couldn’t take the time to bless us today because we couldn’t take the time to thank Him yesterday? What if GOD decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn’t follow Him
Jesus Loves You Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church, the Pastor and his 11-year-old son would go out into their town and hand out gospel tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said “Okay Dad, I’m ready.” His Pastor Dad asked, “Ready for what?” “Dad, it’s time we gather our tracts together and go out.” Dad responds, “Son, it’s very cold outside and it’s pouring down rain.” The boy gives his Dad a surprised look, asking, “But Dad, aren’t people still going to Hell, even though it’s raining?” Dad answers, “Son, I am not going out in this weather.” Despondently the boy asks, “Dad, can I go — Please?” His father hesitated for a moment then said, “Son, you can go. Here are the tracts; be careful son.” “Thanks, Dad!” And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This 11-year-old boy walked the streets of the town going door-to-door and handing everybody he met in the street a gospel tract. After two hours of walking in the rain he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down
Getting to His House Make a Right onto “Believeth Blvd.” Keep straight and go through the Green Light, which is Jesus Christ. From there, you must turn onto the “Bridge of Faith,” which is over troubled water. When you get off the bridge, make a Right turn and Keep Straight. You are on the “King’s Highway” – Heaven-bound. Keep going for three miles: One for the Father, One for the Son, and One for the Holy Ghost. Then exit off onto “Grace Blvd.” From there, make a Right turn on “Gospel Lane.” Keep Straight and then make another Right on “Prayer Blvd.” As you go on your way, Yield Not to the traffic on “Temptation Ave.” Also, avoid SIN STREET because it is a DEAD END. Pass up “Envy Drive,” and “Have Avenue.” Also, avoid “Hypocrisy Street,” “Gossiping Lane” and “Backbiting Blvd.” But you have to go down “Long-suffering Lane”, “Persecution Blvd.” and “Trials and Tribulations Ave.” But that’s all right, because VICTORY Blvd. is straight ahead! — Author Unknown Meditation: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
PUSH A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room was filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s weary mind: “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.” Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. “Why kill myself over this?” he thought. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.” And that is
Insights on Living from An Ancient Come in,” he said to me, “So, you would like to interview Me?” “If you have the time,” I said. He smiled through his beard and said: “What questions do you have in mind to ask me?” “None that are new to you. What’s the one thing that surprises you most about mankind?” He answered: “That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived…” His hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said, “May I ask you another question?” He replied with a smile. “As a father, what would you ask your children to do for the New Year?” “To learn they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved. To learn that it takes years to build trust, and a few seconds to destroy it. To learn that what is most valuable
