One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo."
He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit."
"In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would
not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared
to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6
months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you."
"Don’t compare yourself to others." He Said.
"The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come", God said to me.
"You will rise high."
"How high should I rise?"
I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.
Never, Never, Never Give up.
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
Don’t tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Clay Balls
A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls.
It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag
out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.
He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful,
precious stone!
Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure.
He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.
Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay
balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have
taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!
It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel.
It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.
We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.
But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.
There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person,
and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the
brilliant gem begins to shine forth.
May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because
the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.
I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel.
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!
Life is too short and friends are too few!
Pass this on to another Clay Ball!!!
'Do not ask the Lord to Guide your Footsteps if you are not willing to MOVE your Feet'
God's Got An 800 Number
Oh, if there were only someone I could talk to right now. Frantically I
go through my phone book and find the number and dial. Instead of a
person, I get, We're not here right now, please leave your name and
number at the tone and we'll get back to you as soon as possible . . .
beep . . .
Phone machines are a blessing and a curse. Sure, it's great to be able to
leave someone a message when they're not home, but it sure would be nice
to get in touch when you need to. Don't get me wrong, as a person who
receives my share of phone calls, I know that it's nice to not always
have to answer the phone. But, with that machine, you're still obligated
to call them back. I once knew someone who didn't have a phone machine
just so they wouldn't have to call people back.
The Psalmist writes, (Psalm 116:1) I loveth the LORD, because He hath heard my voice
and my supplications.
Does God have an answer machine? I don't think so. He's always home, and
He never gets burned out on too many phone calls. In fact, He enjoys
receiving our calls. You don't have to worry about busy signals either
when you call Him. He's never too busy for you. And when you call, you
can be sure He'll answer because He's always home. It may not be exactly
how you expect Him to, but He'll answer. Billy Graham once said, Heaven
is full of answers to prayers for which no one even bothered to ask.
Phone home precious one.
Forgiving
Yourself
You've blown it. You have really messed up this time. You know
that God heard your prayer asking forgiveness, and you really
meant every word. But you still feel guilt and condemnation. We
make life hard by blaming ourselves for things we did in the past.
But God says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again
by a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1). What does that freedom
really mean? It means that you are not saved from the pit of hell
to be imprisoned in self-punishment. God has set you free. You
are no longer a slave to self-condemnation and self-hatred. The
Bible says, "There is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1)."
You have agreed with God that what you did was sin. You believe
that Jesus died for you on the cross and that His blood sacrifice
forgives all your sins. You know from the Bible that God has forgotten
that sin. He has removed it from you as far as the east is from
the west. But you still feel horrible! How do you get past that
feeling? Forgiveness is not a feeling. You must choose to deny
Satan the accuser and his plans to make you feel guilty and dirty
because of sins in the past. When Satan tries to remind you of
your past, do these things:
- Meditate on the truth of who God is and who you are in Him.
- Take into your heart and spirit scriptures about God's forgiveness,
mercy, grace, and love. Psalm 103 is a good place to start.
- Take an objective view of your past to learn from your failure.
What did you learn about yourself and God through this experience?
- Allow God to expose the wound for His healing touch, and
refuse the attempts of the accuser and destroyer to harass
you anymore, because the King of glory stands as your Defender
and Advocate.
The Spirit of truth and grace says that you are free. Start living
like it. If you are still living in bondage to self-condemnation,
you are like a dog whose leash has been removed, but he stays
in the yard because he thinks he is still tied up. Jesus Christ
got rid of that "leash" forever at Calvary. There is
nothing you can do that would make God love you less or not forgive
you. You are forgiven. It is settled in heaven. Let the Spirit
of the Lord witness to that in your inner being. Where the Spirit
of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Pray
this prayer of commitment and begin enjoying the blessings of
forgiveness and freedom.
Heavenly Father, thank You that you have never rejected me, and
You never will. You have received me unconditionally. I am accepted
in Jesus. My acceptance does not depend on anything but Jesus,
His love, mercy, grace, sacrifice, and righteousness. I am not
ashamed before You.
I
repent of my sins in Jesus' name. Thank You that I am completely
forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I will not allow
the enemy to harass me about the past. I choose to forgive myself
and receive the full freedom of Your forgiveness.
Thank
You that my body can function in Your peace, healed and whole.
My mind is at rest, and I choose to let Jesus cover past failures
and struggles and enjoy Your love, Your thoughts, and Your ways.
What amazing grace that You remember my sins and iniquities no
more! Jesus took them on Himself.
Because
of Jesus' forgiveness, I can forgive others in His name. I choose
to forgive all those who have hurt me, harmed me, or spoken against
me. I free them in my thoughts and no longer hold their sins against
them. Bless them in Your mercy. I do this by Your indwelling power.
Thank You that I am a brand new creation. All the old has passed
away, and I stand clean in Your sight. I can settle this today
with You. I choose to receive Your healing grace by the cleansing
power of the Holy Spirit within me.
Thank
You that You control me, not my emotions or what others say. I
receive all Your blessings for my life and give You all praise,
honor, and glory. Amen.
From
Prayer Portions, page 95-96. © 1991, 1992, 1995 Sylvia Gunter.
Available at www.thefathersbusiness.com
Paradoxes
of Prayer
Let me share with you some of the paradoxes we all are learning
about prayer.
Prayer
is easy, even a child can do it.
And it's hard. It requires positive commitment
to pray and not to do other things.
Prayer
is simple, as simple as obedience to the next
thing the Father says.
It is complex, the inexplicable invasion of the
invisible.
Prayer
is dramatic enough that the answer makes headlines in the newspaper.
It is also without fanfare, as a matter of course,
about the mundane, like lost keys.
Prayer
works.
Sometimes it appears not to work, but always
God is at work.
Prayer
will be misunderstood and even resisted. (The
seven last words of the church are "We've never done it that
way before.")
It will at times be grabbed like a life preserver
thrown to a drowning man.
Prayer
is rejoicing and hilarious at times.
Sometimes it is with tears, weeping with the
Father's heart over a city or the church or your prodigal.
Prayer
is war, and the language of the war room is appropriate:
strategies, targets, "Prayer Force" saturation intercession.
It is intimacy, our hope for peace and rest.
Prayer
will be opposed by the enemy.
Yet it will hit the bulls-eye with the accuracy of a sharp-shooter.
Prayer
is infinitely powerful and a priceless privilege.
It is abjectly humble and an absolute necessity.
Just do it! Your Father is pleased to hear His Son and
His Spirit praying through you.
From
Prayer Portions, page 15. © 1991, 1992, 1995 Sylvia Gunter
Available
at www.thefathersbusiness.com.