Does Your Heart Still Ache?

Does Your Heart Still Ache?

 

A woman whose only son had died went to a holy man and asked, "What powers do you have that will lift the ache from my heart?" He said, "There is a wonderful thing you can do. But first you must bring me a mustard seed from a family that has no problems." The woman went immediately to a beautiful mansion, thinking, "Nothing can possibly be wrong here!" She knocked the door and said, "I have to find a mustard seed from a home where there are no problems. It's very important to me. May I have one of your mustard seeds?" The people said to her, "Oh, you have come to the wrong house." They began listing all their problems. The woman thought, "I certainly know something about few problems. May be I can help them." She listened, consoled and comforted. At every home in the town the same thing happened. Finally, she returned to the holy man and said, "I did not find the seed you wanted. Instead, I gave away all the seeds of love I could give." "And does your heart still ache?" asked the holy man. "No," she said but then she added with a smile, "but I'm thinking of growing some mustard seed and letting it go to seed."

 

Whatever you think you are on the outside, you likely are on the inside. The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage disposal probably eats better than 30% of the people in this world. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have. Hebrews 13:5

Wonderful Counselor

Wonderful Counselor

 

Do you need wisdom or direction in your life today? The scripture tells us that Jesus is our Counselor. And He's not just any kind of Counselor, He's a Wonderful Counselor. When something is wonderful, it means it is unusually good, marvelous or astonishing. Think about that for a moment. God is a marvelous, astonishing, unusually good Counselor — the very best you could ever have!

 

Today, no matter what you may be facing, no matter what kinds of decisions you have to make, consider God. Ask Him to direct your steps and confirm His perfect will for your life. Remember, He is the best counselor there is. Let Him direct and guide your path. Seek Him with your whole heart, put Him first, and let Him lead you in blessing and victory in every area of your life. Father in heaven, You are my Wonderful Counselor. I submit all my ways to You. I trust that You have a good plan for me. Thank You for giving me wisdom and direction in every area of my life in Jesus' name. Amen.

Life Is Too Short

Life Is Too Short

 

While preparing to speak at a convention, a man wanted his wife to go out for sandwiches while he got ready for the event. He requested for a chicken sandwich with no mayonnaise. He made sure she understood his order, even to the point of her replying, "Yep, I got it. N-o-o-o-o-mayo." When the sandwich arrived, however, he found it smothered with mayonnaise. His wife seemed totally to have forgotten his request. He had launched into a tirade of "you never listen – you only care about yourself" statements. Tension filled the air in the hotel room for a full hour before he finally asked his wife to forgive him. Later that evening after he had spoken, a man came to him and said, "It's lovely to see how much you and your wife love each other. Treasure one another!" He walked away with tears in his eyes. A woman standing nearby said, "He lost his wife last month. She died of a heart attack. They had been married only two years." The speaker thought - How would I feel if the last thing I got to say to my wife was that she blew my sandwich order?

 

What was the last thing you said to your loved one? Express gratitude for their lives rather than irritation at their faults. Look at everything as though you were seeing it for the first time or the last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

 

It’s Action Time

It's Action Time

 

While walking down the road one day, a turtle fell into a pothole in the center of a country road. He spun his little legs but couldn't free himself. A rabbit friend came hopping along and offered assistance but no matter what they tried, the turtle remained stuck in the muddy hole. "It's no use," the turtle said. "There's no help for me." Various other animal friends passed his way but the turtle refused their help, believing his destiny was sealed in the muck of the hole in which he had fallen. He sighed, "It's hopeless," and pulled his head inside his shell. Then he heard a rumble. And peeking from his shell, he spotted a tractor heading straight for the pothole in which he sat. Without another thought, he scrambled out of the hole and across the road to safety. Later his friends saw him and asked, "How did you get free? We thought you couldn't get out of that pothole." The turtle replied, "Oh, I couldn't … but then I had to!"

 

Don't wait for crisis to develop before you decide to take action on your problem or to make a difficult decision. Act now. You'll save yourself stress and panic later. Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous: you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either one or the other! Revelation 3:15 NIV

 

The Ripple Effect

The Ripple Effect

 

Not everyone who commits his or her life to God will be called to be world famous. The majority of us are called to fulfill less noticeable roles in our churches, schools, communities, and families. Yet only God may know how significant our roles are to the future of thousands–even millions.

 

A century and a half ago a humble minister lived and died in small village in Leicestershire, England. He lived there his entire life and never travelled far from home. He never attended college, had no formal degrees but was a faithful village minister. In his congregation was a young cobbler to whom he gave special attention, teaching him the Word of God. This young man was William Carey, later hailed as one of the greatest missionaries of modern times. The village minister also had a son-a boy whom he taught faithfully and constantly encouraged. The boy's character and talents were profoundly impacted by his father's life. That son grew up to be a man many considered the mightiest public orator of his day: Robert Hall. Widely admired for his saintly character, his preaching was powerful and his sermons influenced the decisions of statesmen. It seems the village pastor accomplished little in his life as a preacher. There were no spectacular revivals, great miracles, or major church growth. But his faithful witness and Godly life had much to do with giving India its Carey and England its Robert Hall.

 

When you think you are having no impact in the world, remember the little country preacher who influenced two nations for the Lord. The mustard seed… Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Matthew 13:32 (KJV)