THINK ABOUT IT 4-16-25
If I said, “Sometimes a smack upside the head is better than a pat on the back.”, you might disagree. But it’s true! Sometimes people have to get hurt before they get help. Here’s an example—
When I was a kid I was fishing with my dad, his best friend (my baseball coach), and his son. We were fishing at a place called,”the pot hole”. It was below the Powersite dam, near Forsyth, Mo. We were anchored near the swift tailrace of the water rapids below the dam.
All of a sudden a man in a nearby boat fell out and was struggling for his life. Fortunately, as he was being carried down river my coach was able to grab his arm. It would have been a simple rescue except for the fact that the man had been drinking and would not stop trying to climb aboard. But as he struggled he put us all in danger by tipping the boat and letting water in. To stop him from capsizing our boat, Bill hit him in the face, like a knock out punch, to get his attention. Afterword it was easy to get him in our boat- saving his life.
So I’ll say it again, “Sometimes a smack up-side the head is better than a pat on the back”. We could have commended him for his great effort, or been like a cheerleader urging him to try harder, but it wouldn’t have made things better. We needed his attention and he couldn’t get help until he got hurt.
The Bible gives us many examples of how God used heavy burdens to bring heavenly blessings. Their trials led them to triumph. In some instances people found themselves in difficult, dangerous, and deadly situations. But in their desperation they surrendered to God who delivered them from what otherwise would have destroyed them. Think about it!
– HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, TX
