One day a boy and his father went into the mountains. They took shelter from a storm in the lee of some great gray boulders that lay like sleeping giants close to the crest of a lonely ridge. As the two looked upward, they saw the wind lay its grim hands on a mountain pine that towered from the summit of the ridge. It was a sentinel that could escape no danger, an outpost to receive the first shock of the enemy’s attack. Savagely the wind tore at it, shook it violently, and howled through the branches.

To the boy, the tree, strong though it was, seemed about to be torn to pieces. “Look, Father!” he said, pining upward, “what the wind is doing to that pine!” The full fury of the blast just then made the pine shudder and sway. It heaved desperately against the black sky.

“Storms are an old story to that tree,” said the father. “A tree like that lives in a struggle from the time it is high enough to catch the first breath of air. Tennyson says a tree is ‘storm-strengthened on a windy site.’ The strongest trees are always those that have weathered the greatest number of gales. Besides, the question is not what is happening to the tree, but what is happening in the tree.”

“The pine does not really seem to mind fighting the storm, does it?” the boy asked.

“No, because it is able to withstand the strongest wind,” the father answered. “It is the same with us. It really does not matter what happens to us, but it matters a great deal what happens in us.” (copied)

There are a great many folks who need to stop resisting and resenting the storms. Instead they need to bend with the wind and let God do His work within!

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.—Proverbs 14:9   To the fool sin is a mere joke. In his mind it isn’t all that serious. Fools laugh at the very things that offend and grieve the heart of God. They joke about the very things that bring judgment from God. We see this light-hearted attitude all around us today. That is a sad indictment against a nation that prints “In God We Trust” on it’s currency, while promoting the very thing that caused Christ to suffer and die on the cross. To put it in language you will understand—Sin ain’t funny!   The second half of this verse teaches us what our sinful society has forgotten–the highest honor of life, pleasing God, is attained through righteousness. If we want God’s blessings we must respect His rules. Gaining His favor is the key to our security. We are never safe if we are sinful (Proverbs 14:34). You and I cannot change the world, but we can have an impact in our family, work place, and community. We become a positive influence when we make it clear to others that sin is serious. By refusing to laugh at their filthy jokes and participate in their sinful activities we send a message—sin ain’t funny!   I can’t help but wonder how many people will take note that I used the word “ain’t”, maybe even get offended that I didn’t use proper English. Isn’t it strange that some folks will pay more attention to that than they do to the sin that is in their life?

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on thee.
Psalm 25:21

The eighteenth century English minister, Matthew Henry, wrote, “Cast not away your confidence because God defers His performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in His time, which is always the more convenient season. He is not bound to keep our time, but He will perform His word, honour our faith, and reward them that diligently seek Him.”

Sometimes it can seem like God does not show up when we want Him to. But as Henry states, God simply defers His performances at times in order to teach us the concept of active waiting. God’s desire is not for us to stop serving Him simply because we are waiting for His answer. He wants us to seek Him all the more and be about His business during the waiting period, for it is in those precious times that we learn to be dependent upon God alone and not upon an answer to our prayer.

We need to keep doing what is right, living in a godly manner, knowing that the Lord will answer in His time. Let us not be anxiously moving ahead, but patiently waiting for Him.

I will charge my soul to believe and wait for Him, and will follow His providence, and not go before it, nor stay behind it.”
Samuel Rutherford ———-From Turning Point

And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD—-Jeremiah 31:17

Recently the vice president of a major airline told a group of travel executives, “I’ve never seen people as worried about the future as they are today.” High energy costs, a worsening economy, rogue nuclear nations, threats of terrorism, widespread job layoffs, and tension in the Middle East–all these make for uncertain times. A British newspaper recently reported on a survey that found one in four older people in the UK so worried about the future they are making themselves ill.

What a great time to remember the old Gospel hymn by James Rowe that says: “Dread not the things that are ahead, / The burdens great, the sinking sands, / The thorns that o’er the path are spread, / God holds the future in His hands.”

There may be tough days ahead, but the God who has been our help in ages past is our hope for years to come. He knows the future as well as He knows the past, and He promises hope for coming years. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know He holds the future.  –From Turning Point

God holds the future in His hands, And every heart He understands. On Him depend, He is your Friend, He holds the future in His hands
James Rowe

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter2:21   I don’t need to tell you, we are in the crosshairs of Satan. He has targeted each of us. His sights are set on us and his intent is to destroy us. And he is a good shot! Just look at all those who have fallen. We see the carnage from his deadly attacks all around us. Look at their faces–some of the victims are your dear loved ones. It is awful. And now his sights are on you. He is a blood-thirsty killer and he has no plans to stop. You are in constant danger everyday.   At this very moment some of you are wounded, but Satan won’t stop until he has literally stopped your heart. He is not trying to just hurt you–he wants you dead. You are in his crosshairs.   So what can we do to stop the fatal blow from being delivered? How can we avoid becoming another causality? How can we protect ourself? The answer is Christ. He is our only protection. He is our shield, our refuge from danger. We cannot avoid hardships, we are at war. Satan refuses to give up and we can’t run and hide. He is relentless. What we can do, however, is to do what Jesus did. He accepted the suffering and committed Himself to the Father “that judgeth righteously”(1 Peter 2:23). That serves to remind us that the only safe place is the place where God’s will places us. Regardless of how tough the situation is we can endure if we keep “Looking unto Jesus”(Hebrews 12:2).   When you are in the crosshairs consider the cross.