The Ant and the Contact Lens

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took hold on the rope and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.

Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet Below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every  stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it?  An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it.

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the  incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me do, I'll carry it for You."

I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want Me to carry it, I will."

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Study the Manual!!!

Jeremy wrestled with the machine before him. He would figure out how to make this engine work if it was the last thing he did! (Which, based on his progress so far, looked very likely.) How could something so simple be so complicated?

"Still puzzled over it?" The voice came from his older brother Andy.

Jeremy nodded. "Puzzled as ever. This is just such a difficult mess. I do wish someone would write about the particular problem I'm facing here. It seems everything I can find deals with other aspects of engines."

Andy pulled a book off the worktable and blue the dust off it. "What's this?" he asked.

"That's the instruction manual Dad wrote," Jeremy replied.

"Are you reading it?"

Jeremy cringed. Truth to tell, he had been reading it, but he'd basically read it out of duty rather than really expecting it to help. "Sort of," he replied.

"Didn't Dad design the engine...and write the manual for those working it?" Andy asked.

"Ummm...yes," Jeremy replied sheepishly. Why did Andy have to ask such tough questions?

"I see," Andy commented. "Well, maybe it would have some answers." With that word of advice, Andy left the room.

Jeremy pulled back out his manual. Here he'd been complaining rather than seeing what his dad had to say. Although his particular problem didn't seem to be addressed in the index, Jeremy remembered his dad telling him that the manual contained all he would need to know--and all would include guidance for this glitch.

Over the next several days, Jeremy poured over the manual. In doing so, he learned much about his father's heart and plan for the engine. He began to see the problem he faced in a whole new perspective. As he gazed upon his father's incredible design and the care with which he did everything, he began to change. And slowly but surely, he began to understand clearly what steps to take. What a precious gift his father had given him in that manual!

"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation." Psalm 119:97-99

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The unspeakable gift

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler.

One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left.

Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't. Instead he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the coarse food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!"

The King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave himself to you and to me. The Bible calls Him, "the unspeakable gift!"

Foolish Passenger

There was a Passenger travelling on a ship. He was looking very much worried.

The Captain of the ship saw this man and went to him and asked "Sir, Why are you looking very much worried?"

The Passenger replied. "Sir, All the food that I took along with me for my journey are almost spent. I Still have only some dry loaves of bread. After this, I have no other way for food". The Passenger ended this with a worrying tone.

The Captain of the ship, verified the ticket of the Passenger. He showed the note "Food will be served in the Ship" to the Passenger and told, "Sir, If you have asked, you could have asked, The food which you deserved could have been served at your door steps!!!"  and showed pity on the Passenger.

The Passenger on knowing this, felt ashamed of himself.

We are very much like this. We don't ask to the All-Sufficient GOD and we make ourselves worried!!

Now is the the time to place our burdens on HIM!!!

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

Do you think "I am the man of Sorrows!!"??

Irish born Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day before his wedding his fiance died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken, Joseph sailed from his homeland to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada working as a teacher, he fell in love again and became engaged to Eliza Roche, a relative of one of his students. Once again, Joseph's hopes and dreams were shattered when Eliza became ill and died before the wedding could take place.

Around the same time that Eliza died, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and enclosed one of his poems entitled What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Many years later a friend was sitting with Joseph, as he was very ill. During this visit, the friend was very impressed when he ran across his poems, including What a Friend We Have in Jesus. As a result of this visit, almost 30 years after his letter of comfort to his mother, Joseph's poems were published in a book called Hymns and Other Verses. Soon thereafter, noted musician Charles C. Converse (1834-1918) put music to one of those poems: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” ( John 15:13)