A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when sudden his room filled with
light, and God appeared.
The Lord told the man He had work for him to do, and showed him a large
rock in front of his cabin.
The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his
might.
So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up
to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface
of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man
returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had
been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to
enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "You have been
pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved." Thus,
Satan gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he
was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.
"Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time,
giving only the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."
And that is what he planned to do, but first he decided to make it a
matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.
"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting
all my strength to do that which You have asked. Yet, after all this
time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is
wrong? Why am I failing?"
The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve
Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the
rock with all of your strength, which you have done.
Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task
was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking
that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself.
Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands
are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and
hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now
surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But
your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and
trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, My friend, will move the
rock."
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect
to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple
obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves
mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong ... just P.U.S.H.!
When the job gets you down ... just P.U.S.H.!
When people don't react the way you think they should... just P.U.S.H.!
When your money looks "gone" and the bills are due...just P.U.S.H!
When people seem not to understand you ... just P.U.S.H.!
Pray
Until
Something
Happens