The Bible

The Bible: A Beautiful Story That Could Touch Your Heart

This is another story sent to me by a friend. I have heard this story before from one of the messages delivered in church. This is a simple story but the meaning is great. Hope you enjoy and learn from what this story. Have a great weekend everyone:)

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.

Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat Disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.

Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?", and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse,

Matt 7:11: "And if ye, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...

IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKED THAT WAY! ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS; THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO ATTACHMENTS!

Proverbs 19:21

 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

Everyone of us plan for our future. We all have different dreams and aspirations. Ever since we learned how to think, each day of our lives involve planning. We plan to watch a movie but when the scheduled date arrives, something comes up and we could not go. We plan to take up Psychology in college but when enrollment comes, we take up Accountancy instead. We plan to go to a certain school but sometimes a better one comes along. We plan to take up Law but because of financial constraint, we find work instead. 

Some plans are just part of our everyday living and if it does not push through, we do not feel any significant effect on our future like the missed movie or the missed lunch date. But some plans truly affect our future. Sometimes we question God why things have to happen. But like what is being said in the above verse, whatever plans we have, the Lord's purpose always prevails. It is good to have plans but it is more important to lift up all our plans to God for we do not know what will happen in the future. I truly believe that God only wants the best for us. Sometimes or most of the time, our plans are not the best for us. God sees the end of our tunnel. We can only see the present. It is always best to put ALL our trust in the Lord. It is the only way to be at peace amidst all our uncertainties.

Interruptions

Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails''.

All of us have experienced unscheduled interruptions in our lives. We all have laid up time frames for our plans. Most of the time (at least in my case), our expected outcome does not push through. Sometimes things do not always turn out the way we expect.

I always go back to this verse whenever there are interruptions in my life. God has a purpose and I trust that I will be much happier in his will. Instead of praying for God to help us in our plans, maybe we should ask our Father what he wants us to do for this day. If we really think about it, life is fairly simple. We just do the things that we are supposed to do in accordance with God's purpose. Live life one day at time. The bible taught us not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough troubles. And worrying will not add a single hour to our lives.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your path straight.

Have a worry free day!

Dare to be different

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ

All of us are social cowards. We all have the need to belong. Conformity is one of our greatest pressures. Our desire to be accepted may cause us to abandon some of our values, principles, and spiritual conviction. Yet the people who have made an impact in our history are the odd ones. Our Bible heroes stood out from the crowd. We have Daniel who was not afraid and kept his faith amidst the trouble that he might run into for praying. Abraham trusted in God and left his good life in the city of Ur to go to the promised land. Little did Abraham know that he will be called the father of all nations.
There was no indication in the Bible that Jesus Christ was physically different from the people in his time. The life that Jesus lead was different. He was not afraid to tell people the truth about him and his father. He knew the outcome of his life here on earth. He easily could have backed out from his mission. While on earth, Jesus was also human. He has experienced the pain humans are experiencing. That is why Jesus understands us because he became human for us, to save us. How did Christ do it? Jesus' strength came from above. He was constantly in touch with his Father in heaven.
Whenever we are with friends, schoolmates, office mates, we have to choose whom to please. Will it be God or men?
If we earnestly want to please God, let us always be in constant communication with God. We cannot be different if we do not have the strength to stand up to our convictions. Being different for God gives us fulfillment. Let us dare to be different.

blessings

Psalm 145:21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever

Worship and blessing are two different things. Blessing is a gift. We do not have to do anything. Worship on the other hand needs action on our part. Worship is the response we give to God and the blessing of God which enriches our lives is the result of giving the almighty God all the glory. Worship is not limited to Sunday services. Worship is actually a way of life. I have read somewhere that the old English word for worship is "worthship". The life we lead must be worthy of what God has given us. Every day, all our actions must be done always for God's glory. The blessing of God is so abundant. Our Father in heaven is just waiting for us to come to Him. May all of you have blessed day.

Trust in God

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make our path straight."

The Bible says that many are the plans of man but it is the Lord's will that prevail. While it is good to plan for the future, let us be aware that sometimes our plans do not push through. We may already have a road map for our life but more often than not, we are met by various roadblocks which forces us to take detours. Frustrations, pain and all kinds of negative feelings creeps in.

There is one road map though that is always accurate. It is the Bible. Rest assured that in times of these uncertainties, God is there to give us his comfort, His guidance, and His love. It may sometimes feel that God has abandoned us. It is not so. It only feels like it. Most of the times, what we feel is not the reality. God is being a "father"and wants us to learn and grow. When we trust Him, we will be surprised that the painful things that we have experienced allowed us to become happier. Let us offer our life to God and trust in His will. God's promises are real and are always fulfilled. Have a worry free day:)

THe Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 23:1 - "The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything i need."

I do have everything I need. God never promised us a worry free life. In fact, he warned us that the life of a believer is not going to be easy. He sent Jesus to save us not just from hell but also from this life. I have seen so many misery in this world. People go about their lives doing what they want and yet still end up feeling empty. Yes, there are so many things we can do for our enjoyment. But it is only through Christ that we can finally be fulfilled. Knowing that we are just passing through this world. What is life on earth compared to eternity. I am looking forward to spend eternity with God. In the meantime, we have work to do in this world. Praying that more people will truly believe the holy bible as the true authority.