THINK ABOUT IT 1-28-25
After preparing Morning Manna today, I happened upon a story about the “Larch” tree (member of the Pine family) in “Illustrated Text”, 1876. The story by Dr. Whately, the Archbishop of Dublin,was about the introduction of the larch tree into England.
He said, “ When the plants were first brought, the gardener, hearing that they came from the south of Europe, and taking it for granted that they would require warmth, forgetting that might grow near the snow line, put them into a hothouse. Day by day they withered, until the gardener in disgust threw them on a dung heap outside; there they began to revive and bud, and at last grew into trees. They needed the cold.”
Even so, sometimes we are mistaken about what we need. When a season of suffering and sorrow comes we want it to pass quickly and then be forgotten. We tend to think of it as a hindrance rather than a help. We prefer comfort- something fun and easy.
At the time we don’t see the value of what we’ve gone through until later. Only then do we finally realize that God used our difficulties and desperation to produce something good. Many never turn to God until they become desperate. As long as life is all sunshine and roses they fail to see that we need what God alone can provide.
Difficulties aren’t desirable but we serve a God who can use them to transform us, and even use our misery to make a ministry to help others. Think about it! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, TX