From: "Dwayne Savaya" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gods Work Ministry Inspirational and Encouragement E-Mail
Dear Friend, In this life that God has given us it is important that we lead it in a way of trust and a knowing that all will be well because the Lord wishes for our best interest. The Lord Jesus warned us to not worry about anything because He knew the futility of worry and the wasted time that would result. It is important that we remember God's omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence and realize that nothing can happen without God already knowing about it. If He knows of our trials, then the answer to the trials is sure to be very near. Rest in the Lord and with your voice proclaim your trust and dependency upon Him letting God know that you know all will be well with your soul. (Matthew 6:25-34) (Jeremiah 5:22-24) (Psalm 3:4-8) I hope you are encouraged by today's message to not worry or fear what may come because your heart trusts in the Lord. THE WOODCUTTER Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before - such was its splendor, its majesty and its strength. People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. "This horse is not a horse to me," he would tell them. "He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?" The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse. One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. The entire village came to see him. "You old fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to sell him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you've been cursed with misfortune." The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I've been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?" The people contested, "Don't make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse." The old man spoke again. "All I know is that the stable is empty and the horse is gone. The rest I don't know. Whether it is a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?" The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn't, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool. After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. "Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us." The man responded, "Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don't judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?" "Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don't say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don't." "Maybe the old man is right," they said to one another. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money. The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments. "You were right," they said. "You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever." The old man spoke again. "You people are obsessed with judging. Don't go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments." It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again. "You were right, old man," they wept. "This proves it. Your son's accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever." The old man spoke again. "It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows." The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life's mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand book. We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve judgment on life's storms until we know the whole story. I don't know where the woodcutter learned his patience ~ Perhaps from another woodcutter in Galilee. For it was the Carpenter who said it best: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." He should know. He is the Author of our story. And he has already written the final chapter. By Max Lucado Read and meditate on these scriptures: John 10:9-10 Jesus declares, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Psalm 91:1-4 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." Joshua 1:8-9 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Psalm 91:14-16 "Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation." All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. Today's Selected Poem: GOD ISN'T FAR AWAY Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem110.htm Today's Selected Testimony: MELODY'S TESTIMONY Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony80.htm =================================================== Dear Friend, The Lord who has graced us with His Instruction Manual for life has given us the gift of our futures. Throughout the Bible's timeless pages we are forewarned of dangers, given words of edification, wisdom for daily living, the pathway to salvation, and shown the Savior who took upon Himself our sins and died in our stead. The Holy Bible is rich in all its ways and is available to each of us waiting to impart its gifts into our lives. Never believe the lie that God's Word holds no power, because the truth is the Bible can change even the worst sinner into a shining light of God's eternal love and forgiveness. Read and meditate on God's Word everyday that you are able and receive the blessings that are bestowed upon its pages. I hope today's message encourages your heart to read the Bible each and every day and be blessed by the wisdom that is imparted to you. THE BAKED BIBLE Several hundred years ago the people of Bohemia were forbidden to possess or to read the Bible by the Emperor of Austria, to which country Bohemia then belonged. Nevertheless, many of the people did have Bibles and refused to give them up. So soldiers were sent out to search the houses and take any Bible which might be found. When the people of any village heard that the soldiers were coming, they made haste to hide their Bibles in some secret place. Consequently, although the soldiers searched the houses thoroughly and roughly, many Bibles were not found. One day the report came to a house that the soldiers were on their way. There was only a young girl there, and she was kneading dough for bread. On hearing the breathless whisper of the sentinel, the quick-witted girl spread out her dough, placed the Bible in the center and, quickly doubling the dough over it, put it into a big pan and slipped it into the oven. When the soldiers arrived a few minutes later, she met them at the door, and in answer to their demand for the Bible, calmly told them to search and see if there was one in the house. They looked into every corner of the cottage but found none. When they opened the stove door, they saw only a large loaf of bread baking. Years afterward the grandson of the heroine of this story came to America and settled in northwestern Ohio. He brought with him the Bible which his grandmother had saved from the soldiers. It had been carefully kept as a relic of days which, fortunately, are no more. The Holy Bible is a perfect Book from our perfect God. It is His love letter to us. Here the Father plans, the Son executes, the Spirit operates. The way of salvation is given; Heaven is revealed; Hell is described. The cross is its center, eternal life its fruition and God's glory its end. By it the soul is cultured, the mind enlightened, the memory enriched and the heart established. The Bible is the traveler's guide, the pilgrim's staff, the warrior's sword and the fighter's shield. It is the telescope of faith, the microscope of conscience, the mirror of Christ's face and the casket (or jewel box) of God's grace. It is food for the heart-hungry, drink for the soul-thirsty, medicine for the sin-sick and life for the spiritually dead. Read it to be godly; use it to be fruitful; believe it to be faithful; trust it to have peace. God has magnified His Word above His great name, and has commanded that it be preached and practiced. It is His standard of judgment. By it all are wooed and waned, saved or doomed. Read it in the company of the Author. Be a Bible-read, Bible-fed Christian. It covers the course of time between two eternities and will live forever. Author Unknown Read and meditate on these scriptures: John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Revelation 3:8 Jesus says "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Psalm 34:8-10 "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing." All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. Today's Selected Poem: PEACE AMIDST THE PAIN Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem148.htm Today's Selected Testimony: ROBERT'S TESTIMONY Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony199.htm In Christ's Service, Dwayne Savaya Gods Work Ministry Please feel free to visit the Website to read more Encouraging and Inspirational stories, poems and testimonies. 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