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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
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
Gods Work Ministry |
