Poems and Short Features

A Lesson from David's Life

"Don't be under any illusion . . . a man's harvest in life will depend entirely on what he sows. He that sows to his own flesh , from out of the flesh shall reap decay and ruin, but he that sows to the spirit, from out of the spirit shall reap life eternal" (Galatians 6:7,8; Psalms 51:10, Phillips, modified).

We could be deceived:

• The seed is so small. We could doubt that the small seeds that are planted could have a harvest of anything. What power could there be in such a small object, placed under dirt?

• The growth is not immediately noticeable. It takes time to generate.

• The sprout is not impressive. The first signs of life look so vulnerable and inconsequential.

• A season of rain and sunlight is necessary for full growth before the fruit appears and then ripens.

Choices can be small and seemingly unimportant. A choice is more than just a thought, It is the powerful combination of a thought with the intent to act, the combination of belief and action. In the positive form, it is the combination of faith and works. In the negative form, it is the combination of twisted perception and unbalanced  behavior.

The effects of our choices are not immediately noticeable. But repeated choices create small habits. They are like cobwebs that can be swept away, just as a sprout can be easily uprooted. But it time these sprouts of habit become strong. They grow roots. They start to bear fruit in our lives. The fruit will be nutritious or poisonous depending on the kind of seed-choice that was originally sown. Only the choices we encourage and allow to continue in our lives will make it.

J. Thompson

Trials

Our trials and difficulties are not . . . to be esteemed the results of divine carelessness in respect to our interests, but as the outworking of divine providence for our good, Those who are able to view the matter from this standpoint are thus enabled to learn some of the best and most helpful of life's lessons, and are thereby prepared for the glorious things coming; whereas those who allow faith to falter in times of trial, and who will walk with the Lord and have confidence in him only when they are the recipients of marvelous favors, are correspondingly weak and correspondingly unprepared for the kingdom.

Reprints, p. 3004

In the Hand of God

The Church in the hand of God is the Church in the hand of Divine power. She will be a crown of glory and a thing of beauty, gloriously reflecting to all eternity the workmanship of our God. How glorious it will be! How beautiful! The Lord Jehovah will set these precious jewels, one reflecting upon another in that crown of glory and diadem of beauty, with the Lord himself. . The Church is to be displayed before men as "a thing of beauty and a joy forever," God's handiwork. What a glorious prospect!

Quiet Waters Christian Devotions