Friday April 16, 2004

~ Email Forwards V:  P.U.S.H ~

     A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God 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.

     So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might.

     Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

     Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: “You have
been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved.”

     Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.”

     That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

     “Lord,” he said, ” I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

     The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. ………Your task was to
push.

     And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong
and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you
have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient
and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done.Now I, my friend, will move the rock.”

     At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.

     When everything seems to go wrong. Just P.U.S.H.!

     When the job gets you down … just P.U.S.H.!

     When people don’t react the way you think they should. Just P.U.S.H!

     When your money is “gone” and the bills are due….just P.U.S.H!

     When people just don’t understand you … just P.U.S.H.

     P= Pray
     U= Until
     S= Something
     H= Happens

Courtesy of Mr. P.L.  Hope it’s as \o/ UPLIFTING \o/ to you as it was to me…

=== Prayers ===

Father, thank you for another wonderful day. I pray you will stay first and foremost in my heart and my mind. It’s been a tiring, but good day. I have a couple requests on behalf of some friends. My buddy, BC has a promising job lead. It might be a bit of a stretch, but it seems like a good fit. Perhaps this is why you had him laid off? Keep on leading, Lord. Another friend BC has a promising fellowship and graduation comming up. It seems very much like what my friend is looking for. If it is best, may it be so. So much focus on things that will pass away… let it not be so, Lord. DS is also considering a change of scenery. Maybe it would be good to focus less on money and more on things that really matter… people and relationships. Help me to keep shining. PL is considering Cali… as You will, may it be done. RY is thinking about moving, who knows what might happen. Keep her best interests at heart, Lord. Not as we want… but what is best. Forgive me for my impatience and for sinning against you again. knowingly. and wanting to cut corners all the time. Deliver me because I cannot deliver myself. I pray all these things in the name of the Master, Jesus. Amen.