A tale of travels so travail

Tiny Blossoms:

"He made me like a polished arrow" (Isaiah 49:2).

Pebble Beach, on the California coast, has become quite famous for the beautiful pebbles found there. The raging white surf continually roars, thundering and pounding against the rocks of the shore. These stones are trapped in the arms of the merciless waves. They are tossed, rolled, rubbed together, and ground against the sharp edges of the cliffs. Both day and night, this process of grinding continues relentlessly. And what is the result?

Tourists from around the world flock there to collect the beautiful round stones. They display them in cabinets and use them to decorate their homes. Yet a little farther up the coast, just around the point of the cliff, its a quiet cove. Protected from the face of the ocean, sheltered from the storms, and always in the sun, the sands are covered with an abundance of pebbles never sought by travelers.

So why have these stones been left untouched through all the years? Simply because they have escaped all the turmoil and the grinding of the waves. The quietness and peace have left them as they've always been—rough, unpolished, and devoid of beauty—for polish is the result of difficulties.

Since God knows the niche we are to fill, let us trust Him to shape us to it. And since He knows what works we are to do, let us trust Him to grind us so we will be properly prepared.

by Oswald Chambers

A tale of travels so travail

Once upon a time, a ship sailed effortlessly on the river of life. It was a festive sight with fireworks and the many sounds of laughter that danced through the twilight. And the many perks indulged the socialite with facination, seduction and addiction from every nationality. This mysterious ship stayed with the current which swayed easily towards the ultimate ecstasy at oceans delight.

So it was once again, more ships coasted downstream in favour of a party sensation under the moonlight. And to our surprise and dismay, some of our youth were drifting away by an allurement that seduces the fancy tonight.

The people on the ships would jokingly hiss and eventually curse at our community of small boats. Yet we smiled and called to them to join us upstream along the chosen way. The journey of faith that paddled gracefully and by starlight towards "Our Horn of Salvation."

During the darkness of night, a monster of a ship traveled down the river and boasted of its surrealism that would rock and shock you. A strange and eerie sensational fright. The fantasy of movie and technical delight had become the nightmare of deadly sight. And yet the people swayed to the sound of ultimate ecstasy and wicked surprise at oceans nasty plight.

Therefore with the passage of time, we rested in green pastures and beside still waters that sparkled in magnificent beauty. The day had dawned at Springs of life to our great delight ... as the memory of the ships faded out-of-sight.

by Glenn Morrison (09)

Who is This?

The cross of itself was but a rugged piece of wood, the "symbol of suffering and shame." Of itself it had no power to save. Not the cross, but the Christ on the cross, is our hope of redemption, for "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19). The significance of the cross, then, is a Person, and the significance of that person was his office as our Mediator.

Yes, Jesus must die as a king. A King represented his people. Jesus had to work Pilate, as he did Caiaphas, to get the correct charge to which he must plead guilty. He must die as a spiritual king or Messiah.

Furthermore, it was customary under Roman jurisprudence to place a sign over the cross of execution, signifying for what crime the victim was being executed. Over Jesus' cross Pilate wrote in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin the superscription, "THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS" (Matt. 27:37). The Jewish rulers protested, but to no avail. Jesus died as a king!

by Herschel H. Hobbs