Do We Expect An Answer?
To pray for something when we know it is not God's will is to waste our breath. God has revealed His will in the Bible, and so our prayers must be grounded in the truths of His Word.
Like The Master
A young boy knocked at the studio door of an Italian artist who had died. When it was opened, he explained, "Please, madam, will you give me the master's brush?"
Barking At The Moon
A certain judge was constantly annoyed by the sneering remarks and abusive language of an attorney. Instead of cracking down on the lawyer and silencing him, the judge would only smile and chew on his pencil. People wondered how he could be so patient.
He Must Increase
Two little saplings grew side by side. Because of the action of the wind they continually crossed each other. In time the bark of each tree became wounded and the sap began to mingle, until one day they bonded together. As they grew, the stronger began to absorb the life of the weaker. One became larger and larger, while the top of the other began to wither and die. Now there are two trunks at the bottom and only one at the top. Death has taken away the one; life has triumphed in the other.
Sleeping Sickness
In the tropics of Central Africa many people are afflicted by a disease known as sleeping sickness. In one epidemic between 1901 and 1904, more than 100,000 died in a single province.
God's Darkroom
In the development of photographs, the film must first be taken into a darkroom. Only after the chemicals have done their work in the dark is it safe to expose the negatives to light and produce the final prints. The light, which would have destroyed the film, now brings out its beauty.
The Mirror
An elderly man who was very near sighted thought of himself as an expert in evaluating art. One day he visited a museum with some friends. He had forgotten his glasses and couldn't see the pictures clearly, but that didn't stop him from airing his strong opinions. As soon as they walked into the gallery, he began critiquing the various paintings.
Connected
A famous clockmaker took a visitor through his shop and pointed out two ways of regulating the time of the instruments. In one method, a master clock sounded a note at set intervals. If the other clocks were wrong, the signal would reveal their error, but it didn't set them right.
Saved By The Lamb
A tourist who had visited a church in Norway said that he was surprised to see the carved figure of a lamb near the top of the church's tower. He learned that when the church was being built, a workman fell from a high scaffold. His co-workers rushed down, expecting to find him dead. But to their surprise and joy, he was alive and only slightly injured.
