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Love:
One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the
sunrise. Ah the beauty of God's creation is beyond description.
As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work. As I sat
there, I felt the Lord's presence with me. He asked me, "Do you
love me?"
I answered, "Of course, God! You are my Lord and
Savior!"
Then He asked, "If you were physically handicapped,
would you still love Me?"
I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms,
legs, and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn't be
able to do, the things that I took for granted.
And I answered, "It would be tough, Lord, but I would
still love You."
Then the Lord said, "If you were blind, would you still
love my creation?"
How could I love something without being able to see
it? Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how
many of them still loved God and His creation.
So I answered, "It's hard to think of it, but I would
still love You."
The Lord then asked me, "If you were deaf, would you
still listen to My Word?"
How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I
understood, listening to God's words is not merely using our ears but
the heart.
I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still
listen to Your words."
The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still
praise My Name?"
How could I praise without a voice? Then it
occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul.
It never matters what we sound like, and praising God is not always with
a song. However, when we are persecuted, we give God praise with
our words of thanks.
So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I
would still praise Your Name."
And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?"
With courage and a strong conviction, I answered
boldly, "Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true
God!" I thought I had answered well, but...God asked, "Then why do
you sin?"
I answered, "...Because I'm only human. I am not
perfect."
"Then why in times of peace do you stray the furthest?
Why only in times of trouble do you pray the earnest?"
No answers but only tears.
The Lord continued: "Why only sing at fellowships
and retreats? Why seek ME only in times of worship? Why ask
things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?"
I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give.
"You are blessed with life. I made you not to
throw this gift away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me,
but you continue to turn away. I have revealed My words to you,
but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you, but your
ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes
were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as
they were pushed away. I have heard your prayers and I have
answered them all."
"DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME?"
I could not answer, how could I? I was
embarrassed beyond belief. I had no excuse, what could I say to
this?
When my heart had cried and the tears had flowed, I
said, "Please forgive me Lord, I am unworthy to be Your child."
The Lord answered, "That's My Grace, My child."
I asked, "Then why do you continue to forgive me?
Why do you love me so?"
The Lord answered, "Because you are My creation.
You are My child. I will never abandon you. When you cry, I
will have compassion and cry with you. When you shout with joy, I
will laugh with you. When you are down, I will encourage you.
When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tire, I will
carry you. I will be with you 'til the end of days, and I will
love you forever."
Never had I cried so hard before. How could I
have been so cold? How could I have hurt God as I had done?
I asked God, "How much do You love me?"
The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His
nail-pierced hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Savior.
and for the first time, I truly prayed.
-unknown author
Dear
Friend,
How are you? I just had to send a not
to tell you how much I care about you. I saw you yesterday as you
were talking with your friends. I waited all day hoping you would
want to talk to me too. I gave you a sunset to close you day and a
cool breeze to rest you -- and I waited. You never came. It
hurt me -- but I still love you, because I am your friend.
I saw you sleeping last night and longed to touch your
brow so I spilled moonlight upon your face. Again I waited,
wanting to rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for
you! You awoke and rushed off to work. My tears were in the
rain.
If you would only listen to me! I love you!
I try to tell you in blue skies and in the quiet green grass. I
whisper it in leaves on the trees, breathe it in colors of flowers,
shout it to you in mountain streams, give the birds love songs to sing.
I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature scents.
My love for you is deeper than the ocean and bigger than the biggest
need in your heart!
Ask me! Talk to me! Please don't forget me!
I have so much to share with you.
I won't hassle you any further, it's your decision.
I have chosen you and I will wait -- because I love you.
-Your friend: Jesus
DO YOU
HAVE TIME?
God will get our attention one way or
another...
The Master called my name one day because He needed
someone to go...
I said, "Lord, in my spare time, between school,
spending time with my husband, working from eight to six, and trying to
coordinate a program for my community to help our children to do better,
I will help you look. See, I know I can't go right now because I
have so much to do."
He said, "Well, where shall I find such a person?
I thought I saw your name on my list of available people."
"Well Lord, that was the prayer that I prayed last
year, but since then, things have changed."
He said, "Like what?"
"Well, I'm working on my PhD, and I'm needed by so many
people. Besides, my husband is always wanting something done, and
on top of that, my community EXPECTS me to help and give to them so..."
"Well, seeing that you're busy, I'll let you go, but we
will talk again, if YOU have some time."
I went on through the days, the weeks, and the months
completing my task as always. One evening, while studying for my
comp exams, I received a call from the hospital concerning my husband.
He had been in a terrible accident and was in critical condition.
I dropped everything and ran to the hospital, where I found my husband
hanging on for dear life.
I immediately begin to pray, "Lord, don't take him now,
I can't bare it." But my prayer echoed off the wall and returned
into mine own ear. Next morning, I left the hospital tired and
weary, and walked in the door of my classroom just in time to begin my
comps. As the professors begin asking me questions, I opened my
mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
In my mind, I begin praying, praying hard, but my
prayer echoed again and I found myself upset at God because he was no
where to be found. I could not explain to them what was happening.
After leaving from my exams, I called into work because
I was so distraught at all that was going on. I explained to my
supervisor what had happened and she demanded that I take some time off.
After visiting my husband in the hospital that evening,
I went home and fell into a sunken state crying and despairing.
Just then I heard someone calling my name.
"Lord, is that YOU?"
"Well...yes, it is. Do YOU have some time?
I wanted to see if I could just talk..."
Instead of waiting to hear His questions, I lashed out
in anger and resentment. "How is it that when I needed YOU today,
YOU couldn't be found and last night...I cried and cried but all I heard
were echoes from the walls. My husband is dying, I'm flunking out
of school, I may not have a job and YOU can just sit and say YOU want to
talk?"
The Lord interrupted me in my foolish speaking.
"My child, I was busy, out looking for someone to go and tell others
about me when you cried. By the time I came to answer, you had
moved on to something else. So, I decided to let your husband
rest, and keep you home for a few days. That way MAYBE you
would get in touch with ME, if YOU had some time. For you see,
before your husband, your school, or your job needs you, I NEED YOU.
And if all these things take you away from ME, I have to almost take
them away from YOU, in order to get a moment."
I calmed down and began to cry. For I remembered
my prayer of wanting to go and do for the Lord.
He said, "I just wanted to re-check with you if you
knew of ANYONE that I could send to e a witness for Me and tell others
about ME...anyone at all?"
With tears in my eyes and feeling so unworthy, I said,
"Lord, send me, I'll go."
God should never have to ask us if we have some time.
When He died on the cross, He put aside everything to insure us eternal
life. We should be more than GRATEFUL to do service for the Lord,
to witness, and to tell ANYONE we can about Jesus. Don't let your
"things," WHATEVER they may be, get you so tied up that God has to
become a meeting time in your yearly planner. He had more than
enough time for us. The least we could do is have time for him.
-unknown author
This is an eye witness account which happened in the
City of New York, on a cold day in December...
A little boy about 10 years old was
standing before a shoe store on Broadway, barefooted, peering through
the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and
said, "My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that
window?"
"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the
boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand and went into the store,
asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy.
She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel, and he
replied: "Certainly," and quickly brought them to her. She
took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her
gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet and dried them with a towel.
By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks.
Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes,
and tying up the remaining pairs of socks, gave them to him. She
patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, my little fellow, you feel
more comfortable now?"
As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by
the hand and looking up in her face with tears in his eyes, asked, "Are
you God's wife?"
In our daily routine of life, have you ever had the
opportunity to be able to reach out and touch someone in need and
haven't done it? Who knows, maybe someone will ask you the same
question as this little boy asked this blessed lady, and maybe, you can
show them that Jesus lives in you!
REFINING PROCESS:
Some time ago, a group of women met in a
certain city to read the Scriptures and make them the subject of
conservation.
While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came
upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit
as a refiner and purifier of silver."
One woman's opinion was that it was intended to convey
the view of the sanctifying influence of the grace of Christ. Then
she proposed to visit a silversmith and report to the others what he
said on the subject. She went accordingly and without telling the object
of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which he
fully described to her.
"But Sir," she said, "do you sit while the work of
refining is going on?" "Oh yes, Madam," replied the silversmith.
"I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time
necessary for refining is exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver
will be injured."
The woman at once saw the beauty and comfort of the
expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
Christ sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eyes is
steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are
both engaged in the best manner for them. Their trials do not come
at random: "The very hairs of your head are all numbered."
As the woman was leaving the shop, the silversmith
called her back and said he had still further to mention, that he only
knows when the process of purifying is complete by seeing his own image
reflected in the silver.
Beautiful example! When Christ shall see His own
image in His people, His work of purifying will be accomplished.
Well known speaker started off his seminar by holding
up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this
$20 bill?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you,
but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar
bill up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?"
And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it
into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up now crumpled and
dirty. "Now who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable
lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it
because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the
dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless.
But no matter what happened, or what will happen, you
will never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean,
crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.
Psalm 17:8 states that God will keep us, "as the apple
of His eyes."
THOUGHT: The worth of our lives come not in what
we do or who we are, but WHOSE WE ARE! You are special - Don't
ever forget it! UNFORGETTABLE
EVENT
One day, when I was a freshman in high
school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his
books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his
books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football
game with my friend tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and
went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward
him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and
tripping him so he landed in the dirt. He looked up and I saw this
terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So,
I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses,
and I saw a tear in his eyes. As I handed him his glasses, I said,
"Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He
looked at me and said, "Hey, thanks!" There was a big smile on his
face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he
lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I
had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school
before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid
before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to
play football on Saturday with my friends and I. He said yes.
We hung all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked
him. And my friends thought of the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge
stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Damn boy, you are
gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books
everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best
friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that
we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football
scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased
him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech
for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there
and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more
dates that me and all the girls love him! Boy, sometimes I was
jealous. Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and
smiled. "Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and
began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it
through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your
siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends. I am here to
tell you all of that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can
give them. I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told
the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself
over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker
so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I
was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable." I
heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told
us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at
me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did
I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture, you can change a person's life. For better
or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one
another in some way. Look for God in others.
Be Blessed
The man whispered, "God, speak to me," and
a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me," and the thunder
rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God let me see you."
And a star shined brightly. But the man did not notice.
And the man shouted, "God show me a miracle," and a
life was born. But the man did not know.
The man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me
know you are here," whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.
Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged
the way that you expect. When We
Worry...
You've been on my mind and heart. I see you
struggling, worrying and sweating, crying and running, at a furious
pace. You're trying to move that mountain by yourself again, huh?
God asks that we cast all our cares on Him because He
cares. Think about what your worrying says to God when you refuse
to give things over to Him.
When you worry about money, you're telling Him He is
unable to provide for His children. Although He has riches beyond
belief in Heaven, He is too stingy to share them with you.
When you worry no one understands you, you're telling
Him although He has been with you since before you were formed in the
womb, and has carved you into the palm of His hand, He doesn't know you.
When you worry whether you will have enough food, you're telling Him
that although He rained down bread from Heaven in the desert to feed His
children, you are the one He's forgotten.
When you worry your enemies will have victory over you,
you're telling God although He has given you spiritual battle gear to
defend yourself, despite His track record of being a giant slayer, Red
Sea divider, lion's mouth closer and a furnace cooler, He can't handle
your co-worker, your neighbor or a former friend.
When you worry your children have decided to follow the
world instead of your example, healing is impossible, you're telling Him
this world controls your fate. You're saying prayer time Him with
merely something to pass the time. You're saying although He
raised the dead, made a virgin conceive, opened the womb of a woman well
past eighty, healed a 12 year issue of blood, made the blind see and the
lame walk, He can't help you.
When you worry you won't be able to do enough to earn
forgiveness, you're telling Him "that's ok Lord, no need for Your Son to
die. I can earn my own forgiveness." Let's just act like
Jesus never died, and tell Him never mind, He doesn't need to go to the
cross.
When you worry no one will love you, that you'll be
lonely for the rest of your life, you're telling Him that His love is
insufficient. He couldn't possibly love you enough to ward away
loneliness. You're saying although He has promised life more
abundantly, He was lying. Despite the fact He started off saying
that it is not good that we be alone, He's changed His mind.
When you worry and refuse to give the problem over to
Him, you're telling Him although He could create the world He can't
handle what's going on in your world, so you will. You are saying
He won't work things out, obstacles cannot be overcome, mountains cannot
be climbed, healing cannot occur, what is lost will not be found, joy
does not come in the morning, He is not the God of a second chance, the
promised land has been swallowed up by the desert, you have discovered
the height, depth and width of His love and found it to fall short of
your needs.
Think about all you're saying to the one who loves you
the most and who has all power. Really think about it. Then
open you hands and release what you've been holding. Bow down on
your knees and ask forgiveness for doubting Him. Walk away with a
peaceful heart noting the footsteps going before you making the crooked
places straight. He will provide food in the wilderness and cause
water to spring forth in the desert.
Stand in a stream with waters around your ankles.
The waters that pass by you at that moment will never be there again.
So it is with the past. Let it go! |
