₦airaland Forum

“How I Killed My Wife!”

Yesterday, I went to interview a preacher. He came three hours late to his church, venue of our meeting and I was a bit angry. But when he explained what kept him, not only did I forgive him quickly and learned some lessons, but I decided to share this with you so that some of us could learn.

Husbands and wives should learn how to settle their quarrels without delay. I have seen situations where couples allow simple disagreement to fester for days. Husband is silently hurting, expecting the wife to speak to him first; same for the wife, hurting and expecting the husband to play the man. The waiting game leads from one thing to the other. If you are at this level of matrimony, please read this. You might have a reason to call your spouse and together take an oath that “OUR QUARREL WOULD NOT LAST BEYOND THAT MOMENT.”

The story as told by the reverend: Husband and his wife (his church members) had a domestic disagreement one morning. The man said he was so bitter about it, claiming his wife knew she was wrong but refused to apologise. She felt it was a non-issue and the husband should overlook easily. To say “I am sorry, darling” to her husband was difficult for her. So many people are like that. So many wives take their husbands for granted too much. We are humans. Blood flows in our veins.

Three days on, malice reigned in the house. The husband said he must get that “I am sorry.” Wife cooked, husband refused to eat. Every day he came home with food from the restaurant. He boycotted matrimonial bed. Husband found new friends in the children; same with the wife. By the way, the children were too small to break the ice. I’ve been there before. Thank God I am wiser now.

On Sunday, last Sunday, they went to church in their different cars but sat side by side during service, pretending to be jolly good husband and wife. Fraud in the house of God! May God forgive some husbands and wives. But after service, husband went home with the children while she waited for women’s meeting. That day, Satan decided to enter the crevice they allowed in their home.

The husband was home already. When he perfunctorily checked his phone, his wife had called him thrice. He disregarded calling her back. Malice. The wife drove in some forty minutes later. He saw Usman opening the gate for her as his phone went on ringing. He checked it. It was his wife. She was in her car at the garage already. What is she calling me for? Foolish and stubborn wife! He said and ignored her calls. The call went on for a while. He ignored it as he sat with the TV.

Thirty minutes later, she did not come in. Something told him to go and check. Is she still in the car? Yes she must be there. He called Usman, Is madam in the car? Few minutes later, Usman rushed in, “Madam dey sleep inside the car o!”

That was when he woke up and rushed downstairs. Asthma! Could she be having her usual attack? Could she have forgotten her inhaler?

He quickly took the inhaler and rushed downstairs. When he got there, she was almost breathless. Usman and husband quickly carried her to the back seat and off he sped like a bat out of hell to the clinic nearby. Madam was confirmed dead! If he had picked her call early enough, probably she could have been saved.

When you leave domestic disagreement to fester for too long, it leads to greater evil. The preacher said the husband is weeping mad, blaming himself: “I killed my wife!”

Only God knows how many wives, husbands, children have died such a needless death. Couples must cultivate one another. No matter how angry I am with my wife; I, in my office; she, in her shop; I call her at least three times during the day. I call even when I have no reason to call. All I would say is, “Where are you? Anything for your boyfriend?” I am not saying this to impress anybody, but because it is true.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. – Ephesians 4:31

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-deformed-couple/
https://daily-dew.com/the-couple-and-the-storm/
https://daily-dew.com/message-from-a-couple-who-have-too-much-stuff/

Our Own Way

Currently, we have our seven-year-old grandson visiting us. Julian is delightful and thoroughly enjoyable to be around, when he is getting his way. One day this past summer, as we were on our way to the swimming pool, I stopped to indulge his request for an ice cream cone. He decided he wanted a “Big Blast.” He was all smiles as he devoured the horrid-looking blue drink with whipped cream topping.

Our next stop was the video store. When we finally found one he had not seen, I checked it out and was on my way out the door, when I noticed that Julian was not behind me. He had discovered a Nintendo game. By the time we finally left the store, he’d talked me into letting him play for about 30 minutes. Then I had to make a quick stop at a nearby department store for the pair of jeans I’d promised him.

By the time we came out of the department store–without the jeans (he had now decided he wanted a type of jeans the store did not carry)–it was 4:40 pm.

“Julian,” I said, “we are going to have to wait until tomorrow to go swimming. It is too late to swim today.”

He folded his arms abruptly across his chest, stuck out his bottom lip and began to pout and cry. “I want to swim today!” he said, pouting all the way home.

I thought how we adults are like that. Even though many of us are more indulged than most people on this planet and get most of our heart’s desires, we do the same thing in more subtle ways when things don’t go our way.

Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way.” When you think about it, our “own way” is one of the things we cherish most in life and the thing that keeps us as our own “lord,” or boss of our own lives. Our own way is usually in direct opposition to God’s will and sometimes in opposition to the will of those closest to us. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.”

If we left Julian to his own way, he would be so spoiled that he could not get along in life and could never have working relationships. He must learn that sometimes, when he gets his way, he will not get what he really wants in the long run, which, in this case, was to go swimming on that particular day. Instead, he had frittered his time away doing things that– while not really wrong– were not what he most wanted to achieve that day. He needed the guidance of a wiser, caring mind. He needed discipline with love that would teach him and direct him to the wiser path. Had he listened to this guidance, he could have had what he most desired.

If we ask Him, God will show us the path He has for us, but He does not force us. “`For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. `For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'” Isaiah 55:8-9.

Jesus said, “I AM the WAY, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me.” In Christ’s life, in His death, burial and resurrection on our behalf, the way of salvation and the way of life has been made available to us through faith in Him and what He has done for us. To take our own path is to perish. To take His is life eternal.

By Daphne Harrington

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/purpose-sent-to-bear-griefs-and-sorrows/
https://daily-dew.com/psalm-1-as-a-business-principle-2/
https://daily-dew.com/benefits-of-wisdom-19-self-examination/

The Many Names of Christ

To the ARTIST He is the One Altogether Lovely.
To the ARCHITECT He is the Chief Corner Stone.
To the BAKER He is the Living Bread.
To the BANKER He is the Hidden Treasure.
To the BIOLOGIST He is the Life.
To the BUILDER He is the Sure Foundation.
To the CARPENTER He is the Door.
To the DOCTOR He is the Great Physician.
To the EDUCATOR He is the Great Teacher.
To the ENGINEER He is the New and Living Way.
To the FLORIST He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.
To the GEOLOGIST He is the Rock of Ages.
To the HORTICULTURIST He is the True Vine.
To the JUDGE He is the Righteous Judge, Judge of All Men.
To the JEWELER He is the Pearl of Great Price.
To the LAWYER He is the Counselor, the Lawgiver, the Advocate.
To the NEWSPAPER He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
To the OCULIST He is the Light of the Eyes.
To the PHILANTHROPIST He is the Unspeakable Gift.
To the PHILOSOPHER He is the Wisdom of God.
To the PREACHER He is the Word of God.
To the SCULPTOR He is the Living Stone.
To the SERVANT He is the Good Master.
To the STATESMAN He is the Desire of All Nations.
To the STUDENT He is the Incarnate Truth.
To the THEOLOGIAN He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
To the TOILER He is the Giver of Rest.
To the SINNER He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World.
To the CHRISTIAN He is the Son of the Living God, the Savior, the Redeemer and the Lord.


Meditation: Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/little-christians/
https://daily-dew.com/when-i-say-i-am-a-christian-2/
https://daily-dew.com/1-corinthians-13-christmas-version/

Remember the Duck

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with, out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back to dinner.

As he was walking back, he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.”

But Sally said, “Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn’t you Johnny?” And then she whispered to him, “Remember, the duck?” So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said, “I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.”

But Sally smiled and said, “Well, that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.” And she whispered again, “Remember, the duck?” So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he killed the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. But I was just wondering how long would you let Sally make a slave of you.”

I don’t know what’s in your past. I don’t know what one sin the enemy keeps throwing up in your face. But whatever it is, I want you to know something. Jesus Christ was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. But because He loves you, He is ready to forgive you. Perhaps He’s wondering how long you’ll let the enemy make a slave out of you. The great thing about God is that He not only forgives, but He forgets.

Meditation: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:8-9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also Read:
https://daily-dew.com/what-god-wont-ask-you/
https://daily-dew.com/throwing-it-all-away/

What God Won’t Ask You


1. God won’t ask what kind of fancy car you drove.

He will ask how many people you took to church who didn’t have transportation.

2. God won’t ask the square footage of your house.

He will ask how many people you helped who didn’t have a house.

3. God won’t ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet.

He will ask how many of those clothes you gave away to people who didn’t have.

4. God won’t ask what social class you were in.

He will ask what kind of class you displayed.

5. God won’t ask how many material possessions you had.

He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.

6. God won’t ask what your highest salary was.

He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary.

7. God won’t ask how much overtime you worked.

He will ask did you work overtime for your family.

8. God won’t ask how many promotions you received.

He will ask what you did to promote other people.

9. God won’t ask what your job title was.

He will ask did you perform your job to the best of your ability.

10. God won’t ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill.

He will ask how many promotions you refused, to advance your family’s quality of life.

11. God won’t ask how many times you didn’t run around on your spouse.

He will ask how many times you did.

12. God won’t ask how many degrees you had.

He will ask how many people you thanked for helping you get those degrees.

13. God won’t ask what your parents did to help you.

He will ask what you did to help your parents.

14. God won’t ask what you did to help yourself.

He will ask what you did to help others.

15. God won’t ask how many friends you had.

He will ask how many people you were a friend to.

16. God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights.

He will ask what you did to protect the right of others.

17. God won’t ask what neighbourhood you lived in.

He will ask what other neighbourhoods you evangelised.

18. God won’t ask how many times you told the truth.

He will ask how many times you told a lie.

19. God won’t ask about the colour of your skin.

He will ask about the colour of your heart.

20. God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words.

He will ask how many times they didn’t.

All of us will stand before God someday… and everything we did, said, and thought will all come to light.

Meditation: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; – 2 Corinthians 5:10-11

You will succeed in Jesus Name!
Also Read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-woodpecker-story/
https://daily-dew.com/remember-the-duck/

The Master’s Expectations

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he sees a dog coming inside the shop. He ‘shoos’ him away. But later, the dog is back again.

So, he goes over to the dog and notices it has a note in its mouth. He takes the note and it reads, “Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please?”

The dog has money in its mouth, as well. The butcher looks inside and, low and behold, there is a $10 note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog’s mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it’s about closing time, he decides to shut the shop and follow the dog. So off he goes.

The dog is walking down the street, when it comes to a level crossing the dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button.

Then it waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and it walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.

The dog then comes to a bus stop and starts looking at the timetable. The butcher is in awe as the dog stops a bus by pulling its left leg up and gets in it. The butcher follows the dog into the bus.

The dog then shows a ticket, which is tied to its belt, to the bus conductor. The butcher is nearly fainting at this sight, so are the other passengers on the bus.

The dog then sits near the driver’s seat looking outside waiting for the bus stop to come. As soon as the stop is in sight, the dog stands and wags its tail to inform the conductor.

Then, without waiting for the bus to stop completely, it jumps out of the bus and runs to a house very close to the stop. It opens the big iron gate and rushes inside towards the door.

As it approaches the wooden door, the dog suddenly changes its mind and heads towards the garden. It goes to the window, and beats its head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.

The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him.

The butcher, surprised with this, runs up, and stops the guy. “What in heaven’s name are you doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!” to which the guy responds:

“You call this clever? This is the second time that this stupid dog’s forgotten his key this week!”

Moral of the story: You may continue to exceed onlookers’ expectations, but may fall short of the master’s expectations.

Meditation: So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do. – Luke 17:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-conversation/
https://daily-dew.com/abc-of-multiculture/
https://daily-dew.com/everything-you-have-done/

Throwing it All Away

“He who neglects the present moment throws away all he has.” That observation by Johann Friedrich von Schiller, a great German historian and playwright, holds much truth for all of our lives.

Early one morning fire broke out in a house on a narrow street. The fire spread quickly, and flames were leaping high into the air before the fire engines could get to the scene.

A young man appeared at an upper window in his pyjamas. Fire-fighters quickly placed a ladder against the burning building, but the man refused to come down. Instead, he yelled that he had to get dressed first. The fire-fighters pleaded, “Come as you are! Come as you are! But to no avail.

The firefighters tried to climb the stairs from below, but they were turned back by the flames. When a rescuer tried to enter through a lower window, the heat and smoke forced him away.

Suddenly the walls and roof fell in. The man waited too long, and was buried under the ruins.

How does this apply to our lives?

The man refused to immediately do what was best for himself because of what someone might say about his appearance later. Thus, the young man literally threw his life away.

We can make the same foolish mistake. I read about an experiment in which a rat was placed in a box and shocked until it huddled in a particular corner. To avoid future shocks, the rat soon learned to run to that corner as soon as it was placed in the box.

How much of your life is spent avoiding the disapproving “shocks” of those around you? Do you disregard your own beliefs, and compromise who you are as a person, so others will like you?

That is easy to do, especially in matters of faith. Many people do not live according to their beliefs because they are concerned about what others will think or say. If that includes you, then in effect you are throwing away the most significant part of yourself–your spiritual life.

Instead of trying to become someone others will like in the future, focus on God’s love for you right now. Live each day according to God’s standards, no matter how people may react; because some things are too important to throw away–including yourself.

By Rich McLawhorn

Meditation: Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. – Psalm 26:3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/christmas-love/
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-reduce-stress/
https://daily-dew.com/a-story-about-a-pilot-and-a-rat/

Bad Luck, Good Luck

An ancient Chinese story:

A farmer had one old horse that he used for tilling his fields. One day the horse escaped into the hills and when all the farmer’s neighbours heard about it, they sympathized with the old man over his bad luck. “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?” said the farmer.

A week later, the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbours congratulated the farmer on his good luck. “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?” said the farmer.

Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone agreed that this was very bad luck. Not the farmer, who replied, “Bad Luck? Good luck? Who knows?”

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and forced every able-bodied young man to go fight in a bloody war. When they saw that the farmer’s son had a broken leg, they let him stay. Everyone was very happy at the farmer’s good luck.

“Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?”

Life is a lot like that. Sometimes it seems like things are going well, and at other times, things seem to be going badly. And we let those things dictate our feelings and our outlook on life. When things are going well, we’re happy and we think God is with us. If they are going badly, we get discouraged and think that God must have abandoned us. We end up being tossed around by our circumstances.

But the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4 that he had learned to be content, even happy, in all circumstances. He was happy when things were bad (he was in jail at the time), and he was happy when things were going good as well. That’s the great thing about being part of God’s family. We really don’t have to worry about our circumstances, because no matter what, we have hope in Christ. We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).


Meditation: And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; – Deuteronomy 31:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/inspired-push/
https://daily-dew.com/cross-in-my-pocket/
https://daily-dew.com/5171-2/

An Eye Opener

I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70’s, with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him.

He was a well-respected, honest man with so many characteristics a Christian should have, but he had never put on Christ, nor entered the doors of the church.

“Have you ever been to a church service in your life?” I had asked him a few years ago. We had just finished a pleasant day of visiting and talking.

He hesitated. Then with a bitter smile, he told me of his childhood experience some fifty years ago. He was one of many children in a large impoverished family. His parents had struggled to provide food, with little left for housing and clothing. When he was about ten, some neighbors invited him to worship with them.

The Sunday School class had been very exciting! He had never heard such songs and stories before!

He had never heard anyone read from the Bible! After class was over, the teacher took him aside and said, “Son, please don’t come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God’s house.”

He stood in his ragged, unpatched overalls. Then looking at his dirty bare feet, he answered softly, “No, ma’am, I won’t ever.”

“And I never did,” he said, abruptly ending our conversation. There must have been other factors to have hardened him so, but this experience formed a significant part of the bitterness in his heart.

I’m sure that Sunday School teacher meant well. But did she really understand the love of Christ? Had she studied and accepted the teachings found in the second chapter of James?

What if she had put her arms around the dirty, ragged little boy and said, “Son, I am so glad you are here, and I hope you will come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus.”

I reflected on the awesome responsibility a teacher or pastor or a parent has to welcome little ones in His name. How far-reaching her influence was!

I prayed that I might be ever open to the tenderness of a child’s heart and that I might never fail to see beyond the appearance and behavior of a child to the eternal possibilities within.

Yes, I saw him in the church house for the first time on Wednesday. As I looked at that immaculately dressed old gentleman lying in his casket, I thought of the little boy of long ago. I could almost hear him say, “No, ma’am, I won’t ever.”

And I wept.

Meditation: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” – Mark 9:42

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/when-i-say-i-am-a-christian-2/
https://daily-dew.com/christian-ways-to-reduce-stress/
https://daily-dew.com/5-reasons-you-should-help-a-fallen-christian-3/

The Lily and the Bluebird

Once upon a time there was a beautiful lily. This lily had a bluebird friend who used to perch on a nearby fencepost and visit with her nearly every day. Together they enjoyed observing the rancher and his family who owned the place where they lived. They watched as, day after day, the rancher and his family worked tirelessly. Though their ranch was profitable and their hard work admirable, the conversation the friends overheard and the things they observed were curious to the pair. It seemed the more profitable the ranch became, the more the family thought they needed.

The bluebird made an observational flight over the rancher’s domain, “You know, Lily,” he said upon his return, “All their hard work is really paying off. They have increased and improved this place substantially in the last few years.”

“I know,” replied the lily, “But have you also noticed that along with their increase they have less and less time for each other. They have all but quit going to church, and I hear them arguing more and more. And come to think of it,” she observed, “I used to see the farmer and his wife taking long walks. Sometimes they walked together, hand in hand and at other times I used to see each of them taking time out of their busy days for a stroll alone in the woods, talking with the Lord. Nowadays, however, they are too busy for that.”

The bluebird chimed in, “Now they’ve turned the management of the farm over to the farmhands and have both taken jobs in the city in order to earn even more money so they can keep up the possessions they already have.”

“Yes, and they’ve also bought a second home in Florida so they can have a nice warm place to live when it gets too cold here,” said the lily.

The bluebird heaved a mournful sigh, “Lily,” he said, “When the rancher and his family went to church, do you think they heard how the Heavenly Father told them to take a close look at you and me and to observe the secret of simplicity in how He takes care of His creatures? It seems to me they are complicating their lives instead of making them better.

To all this, the beautiful lily replied, “Why is it that people go to school and study textbooks and learn many great things, yet they aren’t smart enough to read God’s textbook on life and apply it?”

“Yeah,” said the bluebird, “Then they too could fly and be free.”

by Daphne Harrington

Meditation: How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. – Psalm 119:9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/little-christians/
https://daily-dew.com/the-other-grandma/
https://daily-dew.com/racing-down-the-river/

Racing Down the River

Someone once said, “True freedom is not a question of doing as we like, but doing as we ought.”

Clovis Chappell, a nineteenth-century minister, used to tell an interesting story about two paddleboats. The two boats, powered by coal, left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they travelled side-by-side, sailors from one vessel made some critical remarks and jokes about the snail’s pace of the other boat.

Heated words were exchanged between the men on the two boats. Challenges were made. So the race began. The competition was hot and heavy as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

Eventually, one boat began falling behind. The problem: it didn’t have enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race.

As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the boat’s ovens. When his fellow sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as coal, they fuelled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport.

Guess what? They ended up winning the race. But they burned their cargo.

How does this apply to our lives?

The men on the winning boat did what they liked, which was winning the race. But the price for that victory was expensive. The boat’s cargo, the very reason they were traveling down the river in the first place, was sacrificed. So they failed to do what they ought to have done, which was to safely transport their cargo.

You may not have thought about it, but God has entrusted each of us with cargo. Our cargo is other people, such as friends and family, and the ability He has given us to help someone else. We are responsible for this cargo, and ought to cherish it in our journey through life.

However, like the men on the winning boat, often we fail in that responsibility. As Billy Graham says, “We hurt people by being too busy. Too busy to notice their needs. Too busy to drop that note of comfort or encouragement or assurance of love. Too busy to listen when someone needs to talk. Too busy to care.”

Are you too busy to care? When opportunities occur to help others, do you take advantage of those opportunities? Or do you burn your cargo as you busily do what you like?

Be diligent, and do what you ought to do. Slow down for the needs of your family and friends. Seize opportunities to help people when it is within your power to do so.

Finally, remember one other cargo God has entrusted to you. It is the Good News of Jesus Christ. Diligently share that Good News with others, and help people who are using their gifts for Christ reach even more people. Your diligence with the cargo God has given you will be very rewarding.

By Rich McLawhorn

Meditation: And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-people-in-your-life/
https://daily-dew.com/getting-it-right-with-people/
https://daily-dew.com/why-you-should-pray-for-people-in-authority-4/

Trouble Tree

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward, he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again.”

“Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ’em up, there ain’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

If a tree can offer much hope to this man, how much more relief can you get by thrusting all your troubles and cares at the One who cares and is able to shoulder them all? That Person is Jesus Christ. You can trust Him.


Meditation: Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:6-7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/never-forget/
https://daily-dew.com/piano-concert/
https://daily-dew.com/when-the-storm-breaks/

The Winner

I was watching some little kids play soccer. These kids were only five or six years old, but they were playing a real game – a serious game – two teams, complete with coaches, uniforms, and parents. I didn’t know any of them, so I was able to enjoy the game without the distraction of being anxious about winning or losing – I wished the parents and coaches could have done the same.

The teams were pretty evenly matched. I will just call them Team One and Team Two. Nobody scored in the first period. The kids were hilarious. They were clumsy and terribly inefficient. They fell over their own feet, they stumbled over the ball, they kicked at the ball and missed it but they didn’t seem to care. They were having fun.

In the second quarter, the Team One coach pulled out what must have been his first team and put in the scrubs, except for his best player who now guarded the goal.

The game took a dramatic turn. I guess winning is important even when you’re five years old — because the Team Two coach left his best players in, and the Team One scrubs were no match for them. Team Two swarmed around the little guy who was now the Team One goalie. He was an outstanding athlete, but he was no match for three or four who were also very good. Team Two began to score. The lone goalie gave it everything he had, recklessly throwing his body in front of incoming balls, trying valiantly to stop them.

Team Two scored two goals in quick succession. It infuriated the young boy. He became a raging maniac — shouting, running, diving. With all the stamina he could muster, he covered the boy who now had the ball, but that boy kicked it to another boy twenty feet away, and by the time he repositioned himself, it was too late — they scored a third goal.

I soon learned who the goalie’s parents were. They were nice, decent-looking people. I could tell that his dad had just come from the office — he still had his suit and tie on. They yelled encouragement to their son. I became totally absorbed, watching the boy on the field and his parents on the sidelines. After the third goal, the little kid changed. He could see it was no use; he couldn’t stop them.

He didn’t quit, but he became quietly desperate futility was written all over him. His father changed too. He had been urging his son to try harder – yelling advice and encouragement. But then he changed. He became anxious. He tried to say that it was okay – to hang in there. He grieved for the pain his son was feeling.

After the fourth goal, I knew what was going to happen. I’ve seen it before. The little boy needed help so badly, and there was no help to be had. He retrieved the ball from the net and handed to the referee – and then he cried. He just stood there while huge tears rolled down both cheeks. He went to his knees and put his fists to his eyes – and he cried the tears of the helpless and broken-hearted.

When the boy went to his knees, I saw the father start onto the field. His wife clutched his arm and said, “Jim, don’t. You’ll embarrass him.” But he tore loose from her and ran onto the field. He wasn’t supposed to – the game was still in progress. Suit, tie, dress shoes, and all – he charged onto the field, and he picked up his son so everybody would know that this was his boy, and he hugged him and held him and cried with him. I’ve never been so proud of a man in my life.

He carried him off the field, and when he got close to the sidelines I heard him say, “Scotty, I’m so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son.”

“Daddy,” the boy sobbed, “I couldn’t stop them. I tried, Daddy, I tried and tried, and they scored on me.”

“Scotty, it doesn’t matter how many times they scored on you. You’re my son, and I’m proud of you. I want you to go back out there and finish the game. I know you want to quit, but you can’t. And, son, you’re going to get scored on again, but it doesn’t matter. Go on, now.” It made a difference – I could tell it did.

When you’re all alone, and you’re getting scored on – and you can’t stop them – it means a lot to know that it doesn’t matter to those who love you. The little guy ran back on to the field – and they scored two more times – but it was okay. I get scored on every day. I try so hard. I recklessly throw my body in every direction. I fume and rage. I struggle with temptation and sin with every ounce of my being – and Satan laughs. And he scores again, and the tears come, and I go to my knees – sinful, convicted, helpless.

And my Father – my Father rushes right out on the field – right in front of the whole crowd – the whole jeering, laughing world – and he picks me up, and he hugs me and he says, “I’m so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son, and because I control the outcome of this game, I declare you — The Winner.”


Meditation: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! – 1 John 3:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/love-notes/
https://daily-dew.com/the-race-2/
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-build-a-winning-workforce/

When the Storm Breaks

A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten Your Seat Belts. Then, after a while, a calm voice said, “We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened.”

As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive.

Later, the voice on the intercom said, “We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us.”

And then the storm broke…

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.

The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, “As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.

“Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently, the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and everything within her small world was calm and orderly.

“Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvellous child was completely composed and unafraid.” The minister could hardly believe his eyes.

It was not surprising, therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.

Having commented about the storm and the behaviour of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.

The child replied, “Cause my Daddy’s the pilot, and he’s taking me home.”

There are many kinds of storms that buffet us. Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky.

Let us remember: Our Father is the Pilot. He is in control and taking us home. Don’t worry!

Meditation: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. – Psalm 46:1-3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

https://daily-dew.com/seeing-is-believing/
https://daily-dew.com/lifes-storms/
https://daily-dew.com/stronger-storms-greater-strength/

Supermarket Checkout

A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally, he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him.

“Pardon me,” she said, “I’m sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that you look just like my son, who just died recently.”

“I’m very sorry,” replied the young man, “is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes,” she said, “As I’m leaving, can you say `Good bye, Mother!’?

“It would make me feel so much better.”

“Sure,” answered the young man.

As the old woman was leaving, he called out, “Goodbye, Mother!”

As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was P4,500.

“How can that be?” he asked, “I only purchased a few things!”

“Your mother said that you would pay for her,” said the clerk.

Do you know that you can tell a lot about a person’s character by how he or she acts at the supermarket? Michael Josephson from the Web Site “Character Counts” narrates his experience. Michael says:

I remember being in a crowded store that had a shortage of shopping carts. A prosperous-looking fellow and his wife were pushing a cart when another man stopped them. “Excuse me,” the second man said, “but that’s my cart.”

The first guy looked annoyed and, instead of apologizing, protested, “But someone took my cart.” His wife glared at him, and he reluctantly relinquished his ill-gotten gain.

He had ignored the age-old wisdom: “Two wrongs don’t make a right” in favor of a distorted version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as others have done unto you.”

Then there are the folks who change their mind about buying an item and put it on the nearest shelf, rationalizing that the store hires people to put misplaced things back. Schools employ custodians to clean the halls, but does that mean it’s okay for kids to throw their candy wrappers on the floor?

Finally, there are the express-line cheaters who enter the “10 items or less” line with 14 items because they’re in a hurry or they love having a competitive edge. They count on the fact that no one will call them on such a moral misdemeanor. And if someone does, they’re ready to play lawyer: “It depends on what you call an item. These melons are part of the fruit group so I count them as one.”

Being considerate, playing by the rules, and setting a good example are important, even in the supermarket.

Michael is right.

Our daily actions really reveal who we are.

No matter how gentlemanly we act when we are rude to the waiters, the security guards and the janitors then we are rude (period).

I don’t care how much a donation one gives, how charitable a person is or how beautifully his or her press releases. The photo-ops may be very impressive. The credentials may be very notable and the titles may be very prominent but all you need is to look at the way the person treats his family and you will have a fair indication as to the true character of the person.

Another accurate indicator is the way a person responds to money. Hah! Money is the best acid test for character.

And so, whether the issue is money, fame, power, family or something as trivial as supermarket activities, the character shows.

Do not confuse character for reputation.

Reputation is what people perceive about us whether they are right or not but character is what and who we really are when nobody is watching.

The Scriptures talk a lot about molding our character so that we may become Christ-like. And this has a practical reason because as famous basketball coach John Wooden says: “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” The next time we go to the supermarket, keep our eyes open not to look at others but to watch out for ourselves.

By Francis J. Kong

Meditation: When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. – Matthew 25:31-44

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/empty-eggs/
https://daily-dew.com/good-character/
https://daily-dew.com/20-truths-to-remember/

Running in the Rain

Sister is a dog. I didn’t say my sister was a dog, no she is my sister-in-law, and she’s an angel! But my friend Curtis has a dog he named Sister, which leads to some fairly amusing sentences. When Curtis and Sister first arrived in our area, Sister lived in this big fenced in area outside the house. But Curtis got a nice doghouse for Sister, the dog, and went to work making it a nice winter home for her. He installed 2 inches of insulation, put in a new floor, he even put a waterbed heater under the floor and some zip-lock bags with water for the heater to heat.

Sister basically has a warm home with her own waterbed. But for the first couple of weeks after her home was completed, she wouldn’t go in it! Curtis was away for the weekend and asked a friend to check on Sister. Well, one of those days was a day a powerful northeastern storm hit our area – with drenching rain. And when Curtis’ friend visited Sister, there was that dog running around outside the doghouse in the wind and the pouring rain, still refusing to go in the home that had been provided for her!

Curtis said, “It’s been frustrating. Here I lovingly prepared a warm, safe place, but she insists on staying outside in the cold and the rain.” That frustration is probably one Jesus knows very well.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 19:41, “As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, ‘If you had only known on this day what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes. You did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.’ “This kind of grieving in the heart of Jesus is not limited to that one time and that one place. It happens every time another person keeps running in the rain when they could be living in the safety and warmth He has provided.

Jesus makes very clear what He wants to give us, what the result will be of our responding to Him. He talks “What would bring you peace?” And peace is what’s at stake in what we do with Jesus, personal peace, peace with God, peace for all eternity. Jesus may actually have shed some tears over you, so many times, He has given you the opportunity to come into the wonderful peace of a personal relationship with Him, but you have refused to enter.

The result? You’re alone out in the storm, feeling unnecessary loneliness because you’re living outside His never-leaving love . . . unnecessary stress because you’re trying to handle life without His peace . . . unnecessary pain because you’re trying to carry the load without His great strength . . . unnecessary emptiness because you’re trying to make life make sense without the One who gave you your life. And Jesus is saying, “If you only knew what I can do for you . . .”

The spiritual shelter Jesus invites you to has been very lovingly prepared for you . . . very expensively prepared for you. There was no way into a God-relationship as long as the death penalty for our sin stood between us and God. We are spiritual orphans in this world, separated from our Father, because of our sin. But the Bible says, speaking of the suffering and crucifixion of God’s Son, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities.” All that because of how much Jesus loves you. And the result of this incredible love – “The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.”

The peace that perhaps has eluded you your whole life can finally be yours when you give yourself to the One who gave His life for you on the cross. Jesus said of the people who missed Him, “You did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” That time for you may be this very day.

You don’t need to run alone in the rain anymore . . . you know which way home is. Isn’t it time you moved inside the safety and peace of the arms of Jesus Christ?

— Copyright Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

Meditation: Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. – Luke 19:41-42

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/peace-of-mind/
https://daily-dew.com/symptoms-of-inner-peace/
https://daily-dew.com/finding-peace-and-fulfilment/

Seeing is Believing

“Home at last,” said city Squirrel. He had been in the open lands to the south. He had wanted to see where oranges came from. The new place was terrifying at first. He had always thought that being from the city made him tougher and smarter than country animals.

He remembered telling the first mouse he met, “Where I come from you have to be on your toes. Never look anyone in the eye or act friendly or you’ll be done in.”

The southern animals were so familiar with Squirrel. They touched too much – patted backs, hugged strangers. They pried into one’s affairs, forever asking how things were going and what you had for breakfast. Having been amid strangers, dodging thieves and con artists, Squirrel was wary of this “friendliness.”

A possum came by with a loaf of bread as a gift. Squirrel nearly slammed the door in his face. “What do you want,” he demanded. “Are you trying to sell me something? Do you own a bakery? Is this one of those free samples to lure me in?”

The possum laughed, “Man you sure are a jumpy one. You just need to learn to relax and trust folks. Ain’t nobody here out to get you. You think you so important that we all spend our days and nights worrying up new ways to do y’all in?”

“Fella, this might come as a surprise, but we got better things to do,” possum said. “We gotta gather the food and tie down before tornado season comes on strong.”

Tornado season? Squirrel panicked. Natural disaster meant looters and anarchy. He would have to arm himself. He built traps and gathered sharp stones for defense, while the others stored food and water.

When the storms came it was more terrible than anything he could have imagined. Thunder shook the earth and the palm trees bent under the force of the beating wind. Anything that was not tied down was instantly swept away by wind or water.

Alone and terrified Squirrel had run from his burrow and been snared in his own traps. His pitiful thrashing only made the tangle worse and by dawn he lay prone in the mud.

Possum and a band of geckos freed him from the lines and tended his wounds. He was more exhausted than hurt. After a few hours rest, he sat up and watched as the animals recovered from the disaster. Most of their homes were gone.

Despite this new hardship, there was a kind of calm after the storm. There was no weeping. Instead, they were sitting, sipping palm wine and swapping stories.

Squirrel could hardly believe his ears. “Have you all gone mad,” he shrieked. “That was the most terrifying ordeal of my life! How can you sit here so calmly?”

“City folks,” chirped the tree frog. “Spend all their time running scared without knowing what danger they’re really in.”

“What’s that supposed to mean,” asked squirrel.

The little frog answered, “It means that there’s safety in numbers. We all look out for each other here because we spend so many nights like this one here. Truth is, dangerous as it is, at least we’re never alone.”

“I’ve never been alone,” Squirrel said irritably. “I live with millions of people and animals all around me every day in the big city.”

Possum shook his head. “Now see son, you just said it yourself. You live with them all around. You don’t see them as beings so much as obstacles to be avoided. All those people and things and animals up there in the city are like the walls in a maze that you run through every day. You try not to look at or touch the walls as you go by, ’cause you’re afraid they’ll close in on you and do you a mischief.”

“But they will,” insisted Squirrel. “You have to be tough to survive…” He trailed off as he looked around the shelter at all the weather-torn inhabitants. They had been tough, he realized. He had been running blindly through a maze of his own making.

Still, he clung to his beliefs. “It can’t be that simple,” he said. “You can’t go into the city acting like some smarty country critter and not be eaten alive.”

Possum smiled. “Son, I have been to the city plenty of times. What I saw there were a lot of fellers like you, rushing and snarling. I saw one feller walk right over another who was lying in a gutter sick as death. He just stepped right over him like he was trash.”

“I stopped that feller and I told him to mind his ways. I told him that there was a being he was scuttling over,” he said. “Do I look le? No sir. I got that feller to help me show that poor creature a kindness.”

Possum gave Squirrel a hard look. “Know what made him listen to me?” Squirrel didn’t answer. “He listened to me because he stopped seeing me as a all and saw what I was. I made him stop. Made him look and see.”

Squirrel took a good look at possum. “It’s in the eyes isn’t it,” he said. “You see the soul by looking in the eyes.”

“That’s the boy,” said possum. “Thing is, you can’t see it if you never look.”

So Squirrel had come back home to take a look for himself, to see his fellows through new eyes. He would make it his business to help others see what he saw. He would write and teach and speak of what he had learned.

First, they would see it through his eyes so that someday they could see it through their own.

By Lisa Suhay

Meditation: Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. – Isaiah 28:16

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/theseed/
https://daily-dew.com/how-do-you-see/
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-see-farther-than-others/

The Little Boat

There was a little boy who lived by the sea and the one thing he loved best was to carve out little boats from the pieces of driftwood that came from that sea. One day he found washed up on the shore a solid block of wood so perfect for sculpting that he told himself, “This is going to be the best boat I’ll make!” and so he proceeded to carve it, making sure that the details were perfect. After sculpting it, he sanded it and painted and lacquered it. He’d then take it wherever he went, always showing it off to his friends.

One day, he waded into the sea, put his little boat on the water, and watched it bob up and down on the water. He was very proud of his boat. But suddenly, a great wave descended on him and the little boat, and the wave engulfed the little boat until it drifted far, far away from the boy and disappeared. The boy ran to his father, crying, and his father tried to comfort him, to no avail.

The days went past, and became weeks, then months, but the boy still missed his little boat. One day, while he was accompanying his father to town, he wandered into a store, and there, among the other souvenirs and merchandise the store was selling, was his little boat! He then approached the owner, and asked him where he got the little boat over there by the shelf.

“Well now,” said the owner, “someone came into the store just last week and sold me that little boat, and since it’s a fine piece of craftmanship, I thought it was a good deal.”

“Sir, you see, I was the one who made that little boat.” the boy said. “I carved it, sanded it, painted and lacquered it. It’s the best little boat I ever made, and it got lost at sea and I’ve searched and searched for it and now I’m so happy to have found it. Can I have it back please?”

The owner looked at the boy, shook his head, and said, “I’m sorry son, but I paid for that little boat, and if you want to get it back, then you’d have to buy it.”

The boy, who didn’t have any money on him at the time, said, “Okay. I’ll be back soon. Just keep it in reserve for me, okay?” Then he took one last look at his little boat, and ran to join his father. As soon as they came home, he went to his room, took his piggy bank, broke it, and counted the money in it.

Alas, he came up short! He sat there, tears rolling down his face, and his father came in the room. “Son, what’s the matter?” his father asked. So the boy told him what happened, and his father said, “Son, why do you love that little boat so much? There are so many pieces of wood that wash up daily from the sea. You could make another little boat, or even more if you wished.”

The boy replied, “Father, I loved that little boat so much. I couldn’t eat nor sleep, wondering what had happened to it all these months. And to have found it after all this time! Father, I don’t care how much it costs, I’m going to work hard so I can save up to buy back my little boat.”

His father lovingly looked at his son’s sad face, and said, “Okay, my son, I understand. Here, I’ll give you the money to buy back your boat,” and handed him the money. The boy hugged his father tightly, whispering, “Thank you, father.” and ran off towards the store, and bought back his little boat. He took it home, cradling it in his arms, and showed it off to his father, his mother, and the rest of his family. From then on, he never let it drift too far at sea, and always kept it at his side.

Jesus is that boy, and you and I are that little boat. He moulded us, polished us, cherished us so much, and when we drifted off where He couldn’t find us or reach us, He became so sad. And, after having found us again, He did not hesitate to pay whatever price in order to redeem us. With Jesus, He paid for us by giving up His life.

When you have someone who loves you that much, and you sometimes feel that nobody in this world really cares whether you come and go, take heart; somebody cares, and will never, ever let you out of His sight ever again.

By Fr. Arlo Yap

Meditation: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. – John 15:13

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

https://daily-dew.com/the-bird-cage-a-redemption-story/
https://daily-dew.com/a-birds-eye-view/
https://daily-dew.com/the-story-of-soul/

The Story of Pearls

Pearls are a product of pain. When a grain of sand pierces the shell of an oyster, all the otherwise dormant resources within the tiny oyster respond to the foreign irritant by caring for that sensitive spot. Over time, the sand particle is covered by healing fluids, and the wound becomes a pearl.

That’s true for you, too. When hardships invade your life, allow God’s Spirit to shape your response. Don’t be bitter. Don’t rush ahead of His plan. Rest in Him. Allow Him time to turn that irritation into an opportunity for your growth – and watch a beautiful pearl emerge from your set of circumstances.

When you flee temptation, be sure you don’t leave a forwarding address.


Meditation: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-quilt/
https://daily-dew.com/handling-adversities/
https://daily-dew.com/blessings-we-may-not-recognise/

The Seed

In the Far East the emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided to do something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The children were shocked, but the emperor continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor.”

One boy, named Ling, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by — still nothing in Ling’s pot.

He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn’t say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.

Ling felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey, nice try.”

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the emperor. “Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!”

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. He thought, “The emperor knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!”

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. “My name is Ling,” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!”

Ling couldn’t believe it. Ling couldn’t even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!”

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

So be careful what you plant, now; it will determine what you will reap tomorrow. The seeds you now scatter will make life worse or better for you or for the ones who will come after you. Someday you will enjoy the fruits or you will pay for the choices you make.


Meditation: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/planting-honesty/
https://daily-dew.com/the-10-most-important-things/
https://daily-dew.com/a-path-without-obstacles-leads-nowhere/

Never Forget

Your presence is a present to the world.
You’re unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You’ll make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Don’t put limits on yourself.
So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal and your prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
Don’t take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot of love goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
Life’s treasures are people… together.

Realize that it’s never too late.
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Have health, hope and happiness.
Take the time to wish upon a star.

And don’t ever forget…
For even a day…
How very special you are.

Meditation: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; – 1 Peter 2:9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-prayer/
https://daily-dew.com/the-triple-test-filter/
https://daily-dew.com/the-most-important-question/

Love Notes

A mother named Antoinette Kuritz shared this idea of hers and we sure can pick this up and apply it to our own kids. Antoinette says:

From the time each of my children started school, I packed their lunches. And in each lunch I packed, I included a note. Often written on a napkin, the note might be a thank you for a special moment, a reminder of something we were happily anticipating, or a bit of encouragement for an upcoming test or sporting event.

In early grade school, they loved their notes. They commented on them after school, and when I went back to teaching, they even put notes in my lunches. But as kids grow older, they become self-conscious, and by the time he reached high school, my older son, Marc, informed me he no longer needed my daily missives. Informing him that they had been written as much for me as for him, and that he no longer needed to read them, but I still needed to write them, I continued the tradition until the day he graduated.

Six years after high school graduation, Marc called and asked if he could move home for a couple of months. He had spent those years well, graduating Phi Beta Kappa magna cum laude from college, completing two congressional internships in Washington, D.C., winning the Jesse Marvin Unruh Fellowship to the California State Legislature, and finally, becoming a legislative assistant in Sacramento. Other than short vacation visits, however, he had lived away from home. With his younger sister leaving for college, I was especially thrilled to have Marc coming home.

A couple of weeks after Marc arrived home to rest, regroup and write for a while, he was back at work. He had been recruited to do campaign work. Since I was still making lunch every day for his younger brother, I packed one for Marc, too. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from my 24-year-old son, complaining about his lunch.

“Did I do something wrong? Aren’t I still your kid? Don’t you love me anymore, Mom?” were just a few of the queries he threw at me as I laughingly asked him what was wrong.

“My note, Mom,” he answered. “Where’s my note?”

This year, my youngest son will be a senior in high school. He, too, has now announced that he is too old for notes. But like his older brother and sister before him, he will receive those notes till the day he graduates, and in whatever lunches I pack for him afterwards.

What a great idea from a great mother who knows how to communicate her love to her children. Wish that all mothers would do the same.

The question I would like to ask you is as a mother, are you positive with your kids?

There is a great need for being creative with the way we treat our kids. And while the whole world wallows in negativity, the best thing we can do for our kids is to offer them an option that the family is a place for peace, joy and security. Your children will grow up with confidence, joy and optimism if you first display that in the way you deal with them.

Love notes? Corny? Some of you are probably thinking but not for kids who are reassured that no matter what happens, their parents will love them unconditionally.

This is why God leaves us with His “Love Notes” through the Holy Scriptures reminding us all the time that even when we have messed up, His love for us will never change.

You might want to pick up on this idea and leave love notes to your kids. But better still, you may want to practice being loving and joyful first. And do you know why? Because the best inheritance you can leave your children is a good example.

By Francis J. Kong

Meditation: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. – 1 John 3:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-writer/
https://daily-dew.com/i-found-jesus-there/
https://daily-dew.com/11-notes-to-remember/

Going to Heaven

In one minute, in the privacy of your home, it can be explained how you can know for sure that you will receive the gift of Heaven.

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that ye have eternal life” – 1 John 5:13

All you have to know are four things:

1. God says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23

2. God says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” – Romans 5:12

This is the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The price for sin is death.

3. God says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

God loves you very much. He doesn’t want you to go to Hell. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to this earth. This is why Christmas is celebrated. Jesus actually lifted the sins from you and placed them upon Himself. When Jesus was on the cross His blood cleansed your own. He paid the price for your sin, which is death. They buried Jesus and He arose from the dead. He conquered death and He conquered sin. This is why Easter is celebrated.

He offers you life. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Eternal life is a present. You can’t get baptized into Heaven; be good to get into Heaven, pay money to get into Heaven; in fact, you can’t do anything to get into Heaven, except to accept God’s gift and trust Jesus as your only way into Heaven.

4. God says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

“But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God…” – John 1:12

“… but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Here is how you call upon the Lord:

Dear Jesus,

Please forgive me of my sins and come into my heart. I trust you today, Jesus, to lead me through my life. I trust you today, Jesus, to take me to Heaven. Thank you for your sacrifice for me. Amen.

Just as you were physically born to your parents, you are spiritually born into the Kingdom of God when you call on Jesus.


You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/heaven-hell/
https://daily-dew.com/dont-shut-your-heaven-part-1/
https://daily-dew.com/dont-shut-your-heaven-part-2/

The Sculptor’s Attitude

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.

I have responsibilities to fulfil today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or…

I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or…

I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or…

I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or…

I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or…

I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or…

I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or…

I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or…

eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or…

I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.

And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me.

I get to choose what kind of day I will have!


Meditation: Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God… So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:1-2, 12

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/choices/
https://daily-dew.com/you-make-a-choice/
https://daily-dew.com/the-choice-you-make/

You Make A Choice

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

“When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued, “I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”

Then he told the following story:

“Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’

I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team but, as a father, I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.’

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay… As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all teammates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first! Run to first!’

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball…. the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’ s head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay!’

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third! Shay, run to third!’

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.”

“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.”

“Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!”

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the ‘natural order of things.’ So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.

Meditation: We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. – Romans 15:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/closed-doors/
https://daily-dew.com/a-lesson-from-butterfly/
https://daily-dew.com/mistakes-are-opportunities-to-learn-something-new/

Three Bullets

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away.

Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.

As he went further, he saw a large wild turkey up in a tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, “Pray first, aim high and stay focused.”

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which would provide more meat than the turkey. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice again said to him, “Pray first, aim high and stay focused.”

So, the man decided to listen to God’s voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree, and shot the wild turkey. The bullet went into the turkey, deflected off a bone and hit the deer, killing it. When the gun fired, it knocked the man off balance, he stepped on the rattlesnake’s head which killed it and fell backwards into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a deer and a turkey with which to feed his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Moral of the story: Keep God first and everything else will follow. Pray first before you do anything. Aim high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let people or things discourage you concerning your past. Do not look to man for your blessings, but look only to God.


Meditation: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/26-armed-guards/
https://daily-dew.com/obedience-redefining-success/
https://daily-dew.com/do-you-know-miracles/

Checking In


A minister passing through his church
in the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened,
a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw
the man hadn’t shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind a shabby
and his coat was worn and frayed,
the man knelt, he bowed his head,
Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,
each noon time came this chap,
each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister’s suspicions grew,
with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
‘What are you doing here?’

The old man said he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.

‘I stay only moments, see,
because the factory is so far away;
as I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kind a what I say:

‘I just came again to tell you, lord,
How happy I’ve been, since we found each other’s friendship and you took away my sin.
Don’t know much of how to pray,
but I think about you every day.
So, Jesus, this is Jim checking in today.’

The minister feeling foolish,
told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime

Time to go, Jim smiled, said ‘Thanks.’
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
He’d never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
and met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart,
he repeated old Jim’s prayer:

‘I just came again to tell you, Lord,
How happy I’ve been since we found each other’s friendship and you took away my sin.
I don’t know much of how to pray,
but I think about you every day.
So, Jesus, this is me checking in today.’

Past noon one day, the minister noticed
that old Jim hadn’t come.
As more days passed without Jim,
he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,
learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried,
But he’d given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn’t understand
why Jim was so glad,
when no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse’s concern:
No friends came to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
up and with a winsome smile;
‘the nurse is wrong, she couldn’t know,
that He’s in here all the while

Every day at noon He’s here,
A dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:

‘I just came again to tell you, Jim,
How happy I have been, since we found this friendship, and I took away your sin.
Always love to hear you pray,
I think about you each day, and so Jim,
this is Jesus checking in today.’


Meditation: But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. – John 4:23

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/missing-jesus/
https://daily-dew.com/jesus-in-the-house/
https://daily-dew.com/theprice/

Thank You Lord

Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today. It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.

Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.


Meditation: in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/forgiveness/
https://daily-dew.com/expressing-gratitude/
https://daily-dew.com/the-power-of-gratitude/

The Dress

Do you like my dress?” she asked of a passing stranger. “My mommy made it just for me.” She said with a tear in her eye.

“Well, I think it’s very pretty, so tell me little one, why are you crying?”

With a quiver in her voice, the little girl answered. “After Mommy made me this dress, she had to go away.”

“Well, now,” said the lady, with a little girl like you waiting for her, I’m sure she’ll be right back.”

“No ma’am, you don’t understand,” said the child through her tears, “my Daddy said that she’s up in heaven now with Grandfather.”

Finally, the woman realized what the child meant, and why she was crying. Kneeling down she gently cradled the child in her arms and together they cried for the mommy that was gone.

Then suddenly the little girl did something that the woman thought was a bit strange. She stopped crying, stepped back from the woman and began to sing. She sang so softly that it was almost a whisper. It was the sweetest sound the woman had ever heard, almost like the song of a very small bird.

After the child stopped singing she explained to the lady, “My Mommy used to sing that song to me before she went away, and she made me promise to sing it whenever I started crying and it would make me stop.”

“See,” she exclaimed, “it did, and now my eyes are dry!”

As the woman turned to go, the little girl grabbed her sleeve, Lady, can you stay just a minute? I want to show you something.”

“Of course,” she answered, “what do you want me to see?”

Pointing to a spot on her dress, she said, “Right here is where my Mommy kissed my dress, and here,” pointing to another spot, “and here is another kiss, and here, and here.”

“Mommy said that she put all those kisses on my dress so that I would have her kisses for every boo-boo that made me cry.”

Then the lady realized that she wasn’t just looking at a dress, no, she was looking at a Mother who knew that she was going away and would not be there to kiss away the hurts that she knew her daughter would get. So she took all the love she had for her beautiful little girl and put them into this dress, that her child now so proudly wore. She no longer saw a little girl in a simple dress, she saw a child wrapped in her Mother’s love.


Meditation: Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. – Luke 7:47

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also Read:
https://daily-dew.com/alphabets-of-happiness/
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-reduce-stress/
https://daily-dew.com/20-truths-to-remember/

The Power of Intercession

It was a morning in early March 1945, a clear and sunny day. I was 24 years old and a member of the U.S. Army’s 35th Infantry Division, 137th Infantry Company I.

Along with several other companies of American troops, we were making our way through dense woods, towards the Rhine River in the German Rhineland. Our objective was to reach and take the town of Ossenberg, where a factory was producing gunpowder and other products for use in the war.

For hours we had pressed through an unrelenting thicket. Shortly after midday word was passed that there was a clearing ahead. At last, we thought, the going would be easier. But then we approached a large stone house, behind which huddled a handful of wounded, bleeding soldiers who had tried to cross the clearing and failed.

Before us stretched at least 200 yards of open ground, bordered on the far side by more thick woods. As the first of us appeared on the edge of the clearing there was an angry rat-tat-tat and a ferocious volley of bullets sent soil spinning as far as we could see. Three nests of German machine guns, spaced 50 yards apart and protected by the crest of a small hill to the left, were firing across the field.

As we got our bearings it was determined that the machine guns were so well placed that our weapons couldn’t reach them.

To cross that field meant suicide. Yet, we had no choice. The Germans had blockaded every other route into the town. In order to move on and secure a victory, we had to move forward.

I slumped against a tree, appalled at the grim situation. I thought of home, of my wife and my 5-month old son. I had kissed him good-bye just after he was born. I thought that I might never see my family again, and the possibility was overwhelming.

I dropped to my knees. “God,” I pleaded desperately, “You’ve got to do something. Please do something.”

Moments later the order was given to advance. Grasping my M-1 rifle, I go to my feet and started forward. After reaching the edge of the clearing I took a deep breath. But just before I stepped out from cover, I glanced to the left.

I stopped and stared in amazement. A white cloud — a long fluffy white cloud — had appeared out of nowhere. It dropped from over the trees and covered the area. The Germans’ line of fire was obscured by the thick foggy mist.

All of us bolted into the clearing and raced for our lives. The only sounds were of combat boots thudding against the soft earth as men dashed into the clearing, scrambling to reach the safety of the other side before the mist lifted. With each step, the woods opposite came closer and closer. I was almost across! My pulse pounding in my ears, I lunged into the thicket and threw myself behind a tree.

I turned and watched as other soldiers following me dove frantically into the woods, some carrying and dragging the wounded. This has to be God’s doing, I thought. The instant the last man reached safety, the cloud vanished! The day was again bright and clear.

The enemy, apparently thinking we were still pinned down behind the stone house on the other side, must have radioed their artillery.

Minutes later the building was blown to bits but our company was safe and we quickly moved on.

We reached Ossenberg and went on to secure more areas for the Allies.

But the image of that cloud was never far from my mind. I had seen the sort of smoke screens that were sometimes set off to obscure troop activity in such situations. That cloud had been different. It had appeared out of nowhere and saved our lives.

Two weeks later, as we bivouacked in eastern Germany, a letter arrived from my mother back in Dallas. I tore open the envelope eagerly. The letter contained words that sent a shiver down my spine. “You remember Mrs Tankersly from our church?” my mother wrote.

Who could forget her? I smiled. Everybody called Mrs Tankersly the prayer warrior.

“Well,” continued Mom, ” Mrs Tankersly telephoned me one morning from the defence plant where she works. She said the Lord had awakened her the night before at one o’ clock and told her, ‘Spencer January is in terrible trouble. Get up now and pray for him!”

My mother went on to explain that Mrs Tankersly had interceded for me in prayer until six o’ clock the next morning when she had to go to her job. “She told me the last thing she prayed before getting off her knees was this” — “Lord, whatever danger Spencer is in, just cover him with a Cloud!”

I sat there for a long time holding the letter in my trembling hand.

My mind raced, quickly calculating. Yes, the hours Mrs. Tankersly was praying would indeed have corresponded to the time we were approaching the clearing. With a seven-hour time difference, her prayer for a cloud would have been uttered at one o’clock, the exact time we were getting ready to cross the clearing.

From that moment on, I intensified my prayer life. For the past 52 years, I have gotten up early every morning to pray for others. I am convinced there is no substitute for the power of prayer and its ability to comfort and sustain others, even those facing the valley of the shadow of death.

PRAYER
“Lord, begin a new work of love within me. Instil in me a greater love for your commandments. Give me a burning desire to live a life of righteousness and holiness. Purify and transform me that I may be fully conformed into the likeness of Christ.”


Meditation: So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. – Ezekiel 22:30

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/26-armed-guards/
https://daily-dew.com/why-you-should-pray-for-people-in-authority-5-religious-leaders/
https://daily-dew.com/why-you-should-pray-for-people-in-authority-4/

20 Truths To Remember

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.

2. If you worry, you didn’t pray. If you pray, don’t worry.

3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

6. Do the math. Count your blessings.

7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

8. Dear God: I have a problem. It’s me.

9. Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.

10. Laugh every day, it’s like inner jogging.

11. The most important things in your home are the people.

12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.

17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise, it’s just hearsay.

18. It’s all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you’re seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle — it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.


Meditation: for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. – Romans 14:17-18

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/naked-truth/
https://daily-dew.com/truths-of-life/
https://daily-dew.com/how-do-you-react-when-hit-by-the-truth/

Everything You Have Done

“Everything you have done” is a reflection of all that you are.

Every step you have taken was necessary to get you to this point in time.

Even the times you felt lost and alone helped to build your integrity and bolster your self-image.

If these times are a challenge and you’re feeling down, remember the journey that took you to this place.

“Everything you have done” on this long and twisted road through life, had to have happened in order for you to be all you are today.

Do I believe in destiny, fate or choice?

Choice.

It is by far the greatest gift, next to the ability to love and be loved, that God has given us.

Yes, He has plans for you. Greater plans than you could ever imagine, but He also has expectations. Thus the gift of choice.

“Everything you have done” or will do, either adds to your potential or delays the fulfilment of His desire for you.

If you could make a map of the journey of your life, it may appear to you that you have travelled a long distance and yet, not gotten very far.

Stop comparing the world’s standards to your accomplishments and see what God sees.

“Everything you have done” has brought you here. It is, my friend, a good place to be. For if you are at the lowest point in your life, thus far, you can celebrate.

From here, this very day, you can do anything you believe you can do. Finish school, start a business, become an artist, become a doctor, a lawyer, a farmer, a teacher, first by understanding that believing is half the journey to becoming all you were created to be and thoughtful planning and action is the vehicle to get you there.

Excuses are the signs on a dead end road.

Finally accepting yourself, sometimes takes a lifetime. But know that, by doing so, you honor the God who created you.

Go now, with “everything you have done,” and finish the work that was started at the moment you were conceived.

Please know, my friend…”I believe in you!”

By Bod Perks

Meditation: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/unanswered-letters-a-lesson-on-handling-discouragement/
https://daily-dew.com/i-will-move-the-rock/
https://daily-dew.com/how-do-you-respond-to-discouragement/