“Wounded, humiliated and literally blinded, Sampsons having toyed with sin seemedless attractive to him now. And that beauty, Delilah, his heart was repulsed by the very thought of her now. Now, reduced to slavery, he urged the little lad to help him find the pillars. Though the Spirit had left him, He sought and indeed found that marvelous grace of God. Reaping what he had sowed, this would be his final, yet greatest act ever….”-Dr. Liston Victor in “Pure Grace”. MY FRIEND, GOD HASN’T MOVED. RUN TO HIS GRACE TODAY…RIGHT NOW! Jn. 3:17 (yup…verse 17) xoxoxoxoxo Jesus and Pastor Al
As the seasons changed to winter, things grew cold and dark. Biting winds from all directions stung at Acorn’s outer surface, yet inside he maintained his hope. He recalled the promises of Father Tree, and he grew to trust what he had been told, simply because he trusted Father Tree. Acorn had spent enough time up there, connected to that branch, that he just knew he would be fine. Promise after promise flooded his mind and seeped into his spirit until his confidence overpowered his fears, and his faith outlasted his doubts. Lying there on the ground with limitless questions never once threatened his beliefs! He knew that he knew! He trusted, simply trusted!
RESTING IN YOU LORD
Resting in you Lord, resting in you.
No more I struggle, done all I can do.
When the dust settles, and the days through,
I cannot fix this, it’s up to you.
Resting in you Lord, out of the blue.
Somehow you touched me, now I am through.
Weary and battered, wounded, scarred too.
Finally I yield it, over to you.
There are no answers, no not a few.
In quiet devotion, not even the pew.
The longer I question, my pain is anew.
So I’ll no longer wrestle, I’m resting in you.
This must be what faith is, trusting in you.
Depth on the inside, as I walk on through.
From inside my darkness, your promise will do.
You’ll never fail me, you’ll see me through.
Resting in you Lord, resting in you.
When all else fails me, you’ll surely do.
If I’ll just focus, You’ll see me through.
I’m choosing to rest now, resting in you.
-Liston Victor, Feb. 6th,1923
This simple poem says so much my friend. Have you ever found yourself in a place of perplexity that seems unsolvable. You’ve read the book of Proverbs so you give your struggle due diligence. You’ve studied the word of God long enough to have confessed and repented and even “worked out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. You’ve examined and re-examined obtaining advice from a “multitude of counselors”. You’ve fasted and prayed and fed your inner being on the written Word,great books,and every possible sermon series in audio and video format that is available. You’ve waited quietly, waited patiently, and even acted with due diligence knowing that “the kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force”. In short, you have rested and equally wrestled to the point of exhausting yourself and all resources. You cannot fix it and if some contact or acquaintance of yours can, their radar must be out of commission because you are not even on their screen.
What now my friend?
Isaiah 40:28-31….Wait….Rest…Renew…and turn it all over to Jesus!
Now,hear me good: Do not give up on your dreams nor give in to those who attempt to thwart you, or simply do not understand you. Do not “weary in well doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not”.
Do not quit…but do release! Rest in God! Some things cannot be repaired or restored by man. Rest!
Acorn felt ignored, misplaced, and even damaged as far as any future potential usefulness was concerned. The ongoing battle between his circumstantial evidence and the voice from Father Tree was hard to reconcile. All he could see was the impossibility of where he currently resided as compared to where he had been dwelling. Acorn’s vantage point had changed from the highest high to what now appeared to be the lowest low. Dirt and debris were all that surrounded him and try as he may, he could make no sense of this drastic move which he had made at the dictate of Father Tree.
“He had been so certain of his placement on that branch that he had felt as if nothing could ever move him. For that matter, he had never desired to leave his former spot of comfort and had never dreamed that any move would have taken place. “What really has taken place anyway?” he wondered. Bizzar perplexity, bordering on confusion at times, filled his thoughts. Oh, how he wished that he could go back…”
