“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” – Song of Sol. –  2:15

Just about everyone my age has heard the song, “Little Things Mean A Lot”. But that is more than a good song title. It is a tremendous truth. It is a great reminder of something too often forgotten. In every area of life it is attention to little things that make the difference between success and failure.

Horatius Bonar said, “A holy life is made up of a multitude of small things. It is the little things of the hour and not the great things of the age that fill up a life like that of the apostles Paul or John, or David Brainard, or Henry Martyn. Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons; little deeds, not miracles or battles, or one great heroic effort or martyrdom, make up the true Christian life. It’s the little constant sunbeam, not the lightning, the waters of Siloam that go softly in their meek mission of refreshment, not ‘the waters of the rivers great and many’ rushing down in torrent, noise, and force, that are the true symbols of a holy life.”

As a warning, Bonar then wrote, ““little evils, little sins, little inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little foibles, little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little acts of indolence or indecision, or slovenliness or cowardice, little equivocations or aberrations from high integrity, little bits of covetousness, little indifferences to the feelings or wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper, or crossness, or selfishness or vanity.”

Whether for bad or good, little things make a big impact. If we are wise we will avoid the things that lead to failure and attend to the things that promote success. Don’t fret about your lack of ability. If you can’t do big things, do small things in a big way – it will make a huge difference! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” – 2 Cor. 3:5
While ignorance of God will is a major problem it isn’t the only problem. Knowledge alone isn’t the whole solution. There must be a willingness to do God’s will. Many who know the Word aren’t doers of the Word. But it takes even more than desire. The fact of the matter is this – you don’t have what it takes to do all that God demands. None of us do. We are all in need of divine help. We need the kind of help that God alone can provide. And it’s essential that we live in the awareness of that fact. Anyone who thinks their ability and best effort is enough is kidding themselves. It’s not even a close call. None of us are anywhere near able to live up to the demands of discipleship. I’m not saying effort isn’t important or necessary. I’m saying it isn’t enough.

For us to succeed we must have help. Accomplishing our mission requires a miracle. God requires us to live by a standard that is higher than we can reach. But that doesn’t mean we are helpless. What God requires He supplies. As Paul said, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” ( Phil. 2:13). That should thrill us.

Success in life depends on us only in the sense that we must surrender ourselves unto God, enabling Him to enable us. We must depend upon God to work in us,through us, and for us. Then we can say with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” ( Phil. 4:13). What we do for Christ can only be done through Christ. We are fools to think that everything depends on us. We face the impossible every day. Thankfully our God is sufficient. There is victory in Jesus – keep your eyes on Him ( 2 Cor. 3:18). “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” ( 2 Cor. 9:8) – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” – Mark 12:42-44 

It is good to have here our Lord’s estimate of earth’s gifts. We know that as He saw the offerings that day, and spoke of their worth, so He always beholds how we give, and always weighs our gifts in the same balances. It is most cheering to us to note that it is not the earthly size of our offerings that makes them either great or acceptable in Heaven’s sight. The widow’s mite outweighed the rich man’s heavy coins.
No doubt this poor woman felt that her gift was so small that it was scarcely worth while to give it; but in the eyes of the divine Lord its value was very great. There are two scales weighing all human acts, and all human gifts and offerings. There are the earthly scales, which weigh in ounces and pounds; and there are the “balances of the sanctuary,” which weigh spiritual values. In the latter scales this widow’s mites weighed more than the great glittering coins of the rich which were given with so much ostentation.
This was not only because her gift was proportionally larger — the rich still having much left after giving, and she having nothing left — but also because of her motive and spirit in giving. She gave because she loved God’s house, and wished to do her part in maintaining its ordinances. She gave humbly, not to be seen of men, but to honour God and win His approval. She gave also largely according to her ability, putting to shame the rich men who gave so much and yet had riches left. Christ sees into the heart while we make our offering; and if our heart is right, and we give as we are able, and give out of love for God and desire for His glory, even the smallest offering that we can bring will be acceptable in God’s sight, and will bring down heaven’s commendation. Gifts are not estimated in heaven by dollars and cents. Many a million gift is exceedingly small when the angels weigh it. – J. R. Miller

It’s important for us to understand that our lives matter. God has a plan for each of us and a child of God in the will of God is the very picture of success – regardless of how he compare to others. God measures our gift by the amount we have left, not the amount given. She gave more than the others because she had nothing left. Guess who will receive the greater reward. It is interesting that she loved the Lord enough to give all, yet she had the least. Those who gave less than all had more. This reminds us that God is good to the unjust.- HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” – Job. 14:1-2
I’m sorry to learn of your loss – the death of your loved one. It came without warning, interrupted your plans, and left you in a pool of tears. It just didn’t seem fair and it left you asking, “Why?”, “Why this?”, “Why me?”, “Why now?” Your loved one was always with you – motivating you when you were weary, comforting you when you were lonely, encouraging you when you were discouraged, and giving you hope for the future. But now he is gone! His name was “Dream”. I don’t mean a sleep dream. I’m talking about a hope, goal, or ambition – perhaps an aspiration you’ve had with since childhood. Now it’s gone.

At some point in your life it is likely that you will suffer just such a loss. One of your dreams will die – be dashed to pieces. For some of you it has already happened and you are in mourning. What you longed for, worked for, and prayed for is gone. It has left you an emotional wreck and you wonder if you will ever laugh again. It might be that there is something that you can attribute the death to, or it might be a mystery. It this point you don’t really care about the details. Your dream is shattered and you are in shock. So what now?

You can curl up in a corner in a fetal position sucking your thumb. Or you can develop a hard shell attitude, saying “I won’t get my hopes up again”. Or you can become bitter and brash, lashing out at the world as though everyone is to blame. Or you can, and should, accept what God allowed and trust Him to get you through. It is your choice. You can let your burden make you bitter or better. If you hope to gain from your loss, profit from your problem, you must not let allow your heartbreak make you hateful. Don’t get distressed due to your difficulty. Believe it or not it is possible to find purpose, and even peace, in your problem. Although you can’t escape it, by the grace of God you can endure it. God specializes in helping people do that.

The ancient book of Job deals with this very thing. It gives evidence that God is able to enable us – able to do, as Paul said, “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” ( Eph. 3:20). I know that your weak flesh might not think so, but you can trust the One who cannot lie and never fails. If ever there was a man who seemed to have all his dreams destroyed it was Job. You might be thinking, “I don’t care about Job. I don’t even know him. I’m suffering!” But this isn’t a matter of comparing one person’s problems to those of another. The point isn’t man’s grief, but God’s greatness.

Job’s story shows us how those who have suffered great loss can end up with even greater gain. It’s just a matter of time. All isn’t lost just because all you have is gone. God isn’t through with you yet and the best is yet to come. He is working in ways you cannot see to bring about things you never imagined! It was this glorious thought that enabled Paul to “faint not” ( 2 Cor. 4:1,16). He knew that our present afflictions are “light” in comparison to what awaits us, and “but for a moment” compared to things “eternal” ( 2 Cor. 4:17-18). Rather than working against us our afflictions “worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). So, “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen…things… eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Job entered the furnance of affliction a good man and came out a more godly man. He was transformed by his trials. The same is true of all those who trust in the Lord. It’s just a matter of time! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“The entrance of thy words giveth light…” – Psa. 119:130
We live in a sin-darkened world and stumble along as blind men. We are in great need of light. Yet, as much as we need it, the average person has no idea where to find it. They look to the ancient sages and philosophers and are impressed with the weightiness of their words, but find themselves going in circles. They look to the modern “scholars” for advice, but our society keeps getting worse. They look to science as though it is the key to everything, but still can’t open the door to the mysteries of life. Others trust popular opinion, as though the majority couldn’t be wrong, but it is the blind leading the blind. And then there are those who cast it all aside and just rely on their own reasoning. So where do we go?

As hopeless as it might seem, there is a source of light – the Word of God! Although not a book of science or history, etc. when it touches on those subjects it does so with accuracy. Most of all it addresses man’s spiritual needs. It expels the darkness and enlightens the mind. As the Psalmist said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” ( Psa. 119:130). That’s good news! It is exactly what we need. The Bible gives us a sure standard by which all things are to be measured. Rather than leaving us in the dark, the One who created and controls the universe speaks to our needs and directs us in the path of righteousness. He guides us along the safest route to the most glorious end. Those who ignore Him do so to their own peril.

The Bible describes man’s need, destroys man’s fallacies, declares God’s provisions and discloses God’s promises. Sadly the vast majority love darkness rather than light and continue on in their evil deeds ( John 3:19). They refuse that which they need most. Instead of turning to the light they stagger on down the road of life, ever searching for satisfaction they can’t find. If that describes you, rather than cursing the darkness and complaining as though there is no hope, turn to the light. That’s the only way to escape the confusion and consequences of living in darkness. – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346